Obey me! My Time in the Devildom Exchange Program
by Author of the Insane
Summary: Isabella Collins is pulled from her normal life, thrust into a world of demons... smoking hot demons. Stuck for a year, she tries to make the best of her situation. Then, she finds a stranger hidden away in the attic, leading her on a mission that reveals some surprising secrets about the brothers, and about herself as well
1. The Exchange Program

If there was one piece of advice I would give my past self, it would be to always read the fine print before signing any document. You never know what hidden clauses will be tucked among all the rules and comments. For example, when signing up for a student exchange program, make sure that the list of acceptable places does not include Hell.

…

My day had started out normal, eating my usual breakfast of whatever still smelled decent in my fridge and going through my mail. I was still in my PJs as I went through the stack of bills for my expensive studio apartment, giving them my usual deadpan stare. Among the menagerie of bills and notices, a dark red letter stood out. It was monogrammed with golden accents along the edge and the address was written in an elegant cursive with enough differentiation in the letters to suggest it was handwritten.

Tossing the bills aside, I examined the unfamiliar envelope. There was no return address, merely a set of initials set in gold on the flap of the envelope. They read "R.A.D". Since I certainly didn't know anyone who could afford such expensive stationary, I double checked the address. It still had my name and apartment number, so, I opened it.

The letter inside was on pitch black paper, golden lettering glistening in the light of my kitchen. Dominating the top of the letter was the word "Congratulations!" Underneath was a handwritten missive in the same graceful calligraphy that was on the envelope.

"_Congratulations Isabella Collins! You have been accepted into the Royal Academy of Diavolo student exchange program. You are one of four students selected to participate in this one year program. We look forward to interacting with you and sharing our culture and heritage. Please sign below to accept this invitation to this exclusive opportunity. Expect an immediate response._"

I looked over the letter, trying to figure out what was going on. It was only then that I remembered signing up for my university's Student Exchange program. When I hadn't heard anything from them in months, I had assumed I had not been accepted. However, this letter clearly proved my thinking false. I did not recognize the Academy referenced in the letter, and a quick Google search proved absolutely useless, but if the stationary and handwritten letter were anything to go by, I was certain I would be well taken care of.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind and take a chance, I began searching for a pen. After literally turning my backpack upside down, I found a pen that still had some ink and grabbed it, signing my name. For a moment, the ink seemed to glow as I finished my signature. I brushed it off as a trick of the light, getting up to find an envelope to return the letter. I made it two steps before everything went black.

…

I opened my eyes slowly, not sure exactly what happened. Upon opening my eyes, I took note of several things. First, I was not in my apartment. I was in what appeared to be a large courtroom. Several men were gathered around me, looking down upon me with stoic expressions. I felt a bit subconscious, covering myself for fear they would see my terrible pajamas. That when I took note of change number two: I was no longer in my pajamas.

My pajamas had been replaced with what appeared to be a militaristic uniform, which consisted of a dark grey tunic with gold trim and two columns of buttons framing the center. The neckline was low, revealing a yellow ribbon tie over a dark cerulean green collared shirt. A red cloak rested on my left shoulder, coming down to the small of my back. A belt was wrapped around my waist and my sleeves were decorated in a black and gold ermine pattern. I wore a pair of grey slacks the same color of my tunic and a pair of dark grey boots that toed the line between dressy and combat-ready.

As I gave my new uniform a pat-down, I took note that someone had even taken the time to do my hair in a fishtail braid. It was then that I observed one of the men who had been watching me rise to his feet. He was dressed in a bright red variation of my own uniform with a black shirt, white standard tie, and black mini cloak. He had short, reddish hair and bright golden eyes that almost seemed to glow. Though he appeared young, something about him made me feel as if there was more to him than met the eye.

"Welcome to the Devildom, Isabella," he greeted.

I stared at him, the sudden shift in everything throwing me off. He must have noticed my look of shock and confusion because his expression softened considerably.

"Oh, pardon me," he excused himself, looking a bit worried. "I imagine this is quite the shock, given that you just arrived. But, not to worry. We'll help you adjust as best we can. For a human such as yourself, the Devildom can be overwhelming."

"Devildom?" I repeated, the word not quite registering in my over processing brain.

"Yes, exactly. The Devildom. You catch on quickly. Very good."

I sputtered, having had my question completely ignored. Before I could try again, the man spoke once more.

"Let me start by introducing myself." He put a hand against his chest, giving a small bow. "My name is Diavolo, the ruler of all demons and future king of the Devildom."

And there was that word again, Devildom. I still had no idea what that meant, but as I processed Diavolo's introduction, I received a sinking feeling in my gut. My eyes drifted towards a massive window looking out of the "courtroom", which made me realize difference number three: I was no on Earth anymore. Outside the window was a stunning view of a massive city. It looked like a cross between a medieval kingdom, Hollywood, and Las Vegas. A large castle bathed in purple light sat in the center of the city, different colored lights twinkling throughout the sprawling cityscape.

"This here is the Royal Academy of Diavolo, though we mostly just call is RAD." Diavolo announced, causing me to snap my attention back to him. "You're standing in the assembly hall, the very heart of RAD. This is where the officers of the student council hold our meetings and conduct our business."

"Let me guess, you're the president?" I spoke up.

Diavolo beamed at me like I was a puppy who had just performed a trick for the first time.

"Exactly! You're really are a quick learner. I imagine you'll do very well here."

"Yeah, that's all well and good, but I have a question."

"Of course, ask me anything," Diavolo offered with a warm and inviting smile.

"Why am I here?" I asked bluntly.

From the seat to the right of Diavolo, another man stood up. He wore a uniform identical to my own, but rather than a green shirt and yellow tie, he had a black collared shirt buttoned up to his throat and a pair of black gloves. His skin was iridescently white, his face framed by black hair with frosted tips. His eyes were dark red and his entire body was almost rigid, as if his spine were a steel rod. He looked as though he would feel comfortable commanding legions of armies, and the military style uniform did not do much to dissuade this notion.

"I will explain everything to you," he declared.

"Isabella, this is Lucifer," Diavolo introduced, patting Lucifer on the back hard enough that he bent forward slightly. "He is a demon and the Avatar of Pride. He is also the Student Council vice-president and my right hand man."

When I heard the name 'Lucifer', my eyes went wide. I stared at the man before me, wondering if this was _the_ Lucifer. If he was, why wasn't _he_ the king of the Devildom instead of this Diavolo character? This question, along with an entire slew of others, rushed through my head.

"He is also my most trusted friend," Diavolo laughed a bit at the end before flashing Lucifer a warm smile.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Diavolo," Lucifer said sternly, adjusting his tunic before turning to me and putting on what I could only describe as the customer-service-smile. "Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this prestigious academy of ours, I offer you our most heartfelt welcome, Isabella."

"Um…" I struggled to get my thoughts in order. "You can just call me Belle. Everyone does." With this introduction, I reclaimed control of my tongue and was able to speak coherently once more. "And you never answered my question. Why am I here?"

Lucifer seemed taken aback, his smile becoming somewhat amused and less forced.

"Interesting, this one isn't like Solomon as all," he mused.

Before I could ask for clarification of this remark, Lucifer spoke up, addressing me.

"Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm."

Suddenly, Diavolo piped up again.

"Not in your stereotypical tyrannical way. We're trying a diplomatic and peaceful approach."

"This exchange program is the first step towards this goal," Lucifer continued, acting as if he hadn't just been interrupted. "We've exchanged two students with the human world and two with the Celestial Realm."

"Right, the 'one of four' thing mentioned in the letter," I recalled.

"Exactly," Lucifer nodded. "Two of them are from the Celestial Realm while you and the fourth are the first humans to come to the Devildom. The four of you will be staying at our prestigious academy for one year, after which you will write a paper about your exchange."

I let out a groan at the mention of a paper. They were always my least favorite thing to do, and something told me that the RAD would be particularly strict when it came to this sort of thing. My imagination went a bit wild as I imagined what punishments an academy in the Devildom would have for missed assignments or poor grades. Lucifer noticed my discomfort immediately and spoke up again.

"We are not asking for a doctoral thesis, so don't get yourself worked up."

"That's not even this biggest issue," I pointed out. "I'm apparently one of only two humans here and I'm just supposed to go to school in what I can only assume is Hell-

"Devildom," Diavolo interjected.

"...Devildom," I corrected, Diavolo giving two thumbs up at the word. "...for the next year. Do you see how jarring that is?"

"Oh, stop glaring at me," Lucifer admonished, a playful edge to his smile. "Do you honestly think I will abandon you all by yourself in the Devildom?"

Part of me nearly said yes right off the bat. However, I stopped myself, sensing this was not the time to be snarky or sarcastic, especially since I still didn't know the full scope of my situation. Luckily, Lucifer didn't leave me in the dark forever.

"You'll need someone to look after you," he decided, "and I think that someone should be my brother, Mammon."

I blinked in surprise.

"Brother? You have a brother?"

The smile on Lucifer's face disappeared, replaced with a grim, somewhat angry glare.

"I have several brothers, myself being the eldest of them, and Mammon is the second oldest. He's the Avatar of Greed and… How should I put it?" he trailed off, as if trying to figure out how to word his next sentence carefully before just giving up and sighing. "Well, it matters little. You'll understand soon enough."

Lucifer then reached up towards Diavolo's podium, grabbing something from it. It appeared to be a cellphone, and a very high tech one at that. He held it out for me and I took it. It had a red lock screen with a white raven silhouette in the center. I looked it over, scrunching my face in confusion.

"What's this? Some sort of cellphone?"

"An apt comparison to be sure," Lucifer clarified. "It's called a D.D.D. and works just like one of your cellphones. It's yours for the duration of your stay. Mammon's number is already in the phone book, so feel free to call him."

I looked at the D.D.D. unlocking it with a swipe of my finger and opening the home page. Surprisingly, the home page was bright, a mixture of pastel colors that mimicked a sunrise gradient. There were several apps lining the screen, but I ignored them for now, hitting the phone button. As Lucifer promised, several names were already in my phone book, but I scrolled past them until I got to the M's. In the profile icon was a picture, clearly a selfie, of a young man with stark white hair and caramel skin. He had a pair of square sunglasses with gold lenses on his face and had a grin that screamed pompousness on his face. I felt a twinge of trepidation as I hit the call button.

"_Yoooo,_" Mammon greeted, sounding bored.

"Hi," I greeted back, trying to sound polite but barely hiding my growing apprehension.

"_Huh?_" Mammon let out, sounding a bit confused now. "_Who the hell are you? You ain't Lucifer._"

"I'm Belle. I'm a human."

"_What? __A human? Jeez, next time lead with that, okay? I thought you were Lucifer again, gave me the chills._"

I rolled my eyes, getting the feeling that Mammon was going to be a handful. My feelings were quickly confirmed when Mammon spoke again.

"_So, what business does a human got with THE Mammon?"_ He asked, putting emphasis on the word 'The'.

"Apparently you're gonna be in charge of me from now on," I informed him, sighing near the end.

"_Nope. __No way. There's nothing in it for me._"

"Gee, way to make a girl feel welcome," I muttered sarcastically.

"_Whaddya even mean by 'be in charge of you'?"_

"I'm the second exchange student." I was growing more and more annoyed. "Kinda new to the area. Need a guide and all that. Ring any bells?"

"_Yeah, but like I said, nothing in it for me._" Mammon retorted.

I growled and was about to hang up before I recalled what he said about Lucifer giving him the chills. I smirked, deciding to give it a shot.

"Alright, guess I'll tell Lucifer you're slacking on the job."

Mammon snorted, clearly not buying my threat.

"_Whatever. __Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just 'cause you're tryin' to scare me with that name?_"

Before I could retort, Lucifer took my D.D.D.

"You have 10 seconds." He said coldly. "9… 8…"

I heard a panicked "Yes sir" on the other line before the call was cut off. Lucifer handed me back my D.D.D. I looked at it for a bit, my opinion of my situation dropping by the minute.

"Well, Mammon seems reliable," I muttered sarcastically as I tucked the D.D.D. into my tunic.

"Don't worry Isabella, or Belle, as it were," Diavolo assured me. "I know that if I were suddenly brought to a strange place and then told an unfamiliar face would be taking care of me, I'd feel anxious myself. However, Mammon isn't the only one who will be watching over you."

"I want that news to make me feel better, but something's telling me I need more information before I let myself get my hopes up."

"Of course, of course," Diavolo said, waving me down softly. "Lucifer, why don't you introduce Belle to the rest of your brothers. I do believe it would be best if you did it rather than me."

Lucifer looked somewhat sick to his stomach at the idea.

"Very well…" There was a pained tinge to his voice. "As much as I dread the idea, she'll have to meet them sooner rather than later."

"Oh, come now, really?" A voice called out in admonishment. "You should be honored to introduce such a _sweet_ and _charming _little brother like me."

Both Lucifer and I turned towards the source of the voice, a young man with long brown hair swept artfully over his right eye. He wore a uniform like mine with a loose pink bow tie that was tight enough to show off his model-esque body without being too revealing . He seemed to give off the aura of a Johnny Bravo character, someone who clearly expected to be adored and worshipped for his beauty. I'm pretty sure that if I was downwind, he'd probably reek of cologne.

"This one here is Asmodeus," Lucifer stated, a weariness in his voice. "He's the fifth eldest and the Avatar of Lust."

"Wow," I let out, barely above a whisper. "That makes a surprising amount of sense, honestly."

Asmodeus ignored me, taking the opportunity to glare at his elder brother.

"How dare you!" he accused. "First you totally ignore me, then you have the gall to refer to me as 'this one'?"

"At least he didn't ignore you all together," A new voice piped up. "How do you think _I_ feel?"

This new voice belonged to a blonde boy in a yellow bow tie and piercing green eyes. Out of all the demons I'd spoken to as of yet, he seemed the most normal. He gave off an aura that was almost human, possibly even close enough to be comforting. I almost felt relieved until Lucifer spoke again.

"That one is Satan, the fourth eldest of us," He seethed, a hard edge to his voice. "At first glance, he may seem like a responsible demon with a good head on his shoulders, but looks can be deceiving."

Satan snorted, glaring at Lucifer with such an intense hatred, his eyes almost sparked with fire.

"Oh, so I'm 'That one', am I?" He snarled back, with the same amount of edge to his own voice.

He turned away from his brother before addressing me, a disarming and charming smile on his face, one that did not seem to fully reach his eyes. He stood with his arms slightly extended, as if to say "look at me". His almost boy-ish face was complimented well by his also boy-ish figure.

"Nice to meet you, Belle. I'm Satan, the Avatar of Wrath."

"Somehow, that does not surprise me," I whispered, hopefully quiet enough no one heard me. "The most unassuming ones always have the hair triggers."

"You're correct," Lucifer nodded, surprising me with the slight purr to his voice as he leaned close. "He may flash you a pretty smile, but you had better be careful because it's all an act."

"Oh stop with the nonsense, Lucifer," Satan admonished. "You'll scare Belle." He then turned back to me and flashed that same smile as before, but I could sense an aura of rage radiating off of him like a fog. "Don't take him too seriously, Belle. Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers. He is the Avatar of Pride after all."

"Are you done?" He sighed before shaking his head and continuing introductions. "The one over there with the very grumpy look on his face is Beelzebub. He's the sixth oldest."

I followed Lucifer's gaze towards a large man with wild red hair and pink eyes. He had his green shirt partially unbuttoned, the collar popped out. Underneath he had an orange tee-shirt that poked out and his tunic was unbuttoned. There was the slightest glimpse of muscle peeking from underneath his shirt that, in normal circumstances, would have made me wonder what he was hiding. He glanced over at Lucifer with a stern look on his face.

"Lucifer, I'm hungry," Beelzebub announced, giving almost adorable puppy dog eyes towards his brother.

"That's too bad." Lucifer deadpanned. "Behave yourself."

Beelzebub's stomach growled loudly, reminiscent of a lion's growling, as his face fell.

"I'm assuming he's the Avatar of Gluttony?" I spoke up.

"That is correct," Lucifer nodded.

"So, each of your brothers is an Avatar for each of the seven deadly sins," I pieced together. "That just leaves Envy and Sloth, if I remember my bible study."

"Again, correct. We'll get to those two in time."

"The brothers will be in charge of you," Diavolo announced, taking over the conversation once more. "To keep you safe, you are to stay with them at the House of Lamentation."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Excuse me?!" I bristled against what felt like a vague threat, holding up my hands. "House of Lamentation? Keep me safe?"

"The House of Lamentation is where me and my brothers live," Lucifer explained. "It's a rather spacious house that originated from the human world. Supposedly, it holds a rather nasty curse, but we have yet to see anything to suggest these rumors to be true. Still, being a home from the human world, there should be no problem with you, a human, living there."

"Right... And the 'keeping me safe' bit?"

"While most demons agree to Diavolo's plan, there are those who would delight in tearing the flesh from your bones," Lucifer stated matter-of-factly. "As you are under our care for the duration of your stay, your safety is our responsibility, and I _won't_ betray Diavolo's expectations."

"Besides, we cannot allow this exchange program to be marred by the consumption of one of its participants," Diavolo piped up.

I was speechless, a cold sweat running down my back. I tugged at my ribbon tie, finding it difficult to breathe all of a sudden.

"Can I go home now? I wanna go home..."

"Do not worry," Lucifer assured me. "Me and my brothers will do everything in our power to ensure you survive your stay down here. As such, we have already provided you with our contact information in your D.D.D. Should you need any of us, we are merely a phone call or a text away."

Just as I was about to voice my desire to go home once more, the doors to the courtroom were thrown open with a cacophonous bang. Everyone turned to see Mammon entering. He looked exactly like his profile picture on my D.D.D, though he was wearing the same uniform as the rest of us. His collar was partially undone, framed by a loosely done yellow tie. His tunic was messy and unbuttoned, covered in wrinkles and with the sleeves bunched halfway up his forearms, which, if I was honest with myself, were not bad to look at. Although I had to admit, I was thinking more about how Beelezebub's muscles would look.

"Hey!" He shouted, locking eyes on me and stalking forward. "Just _who_ do you think you are, human?! You have some nerve summoning The Great Mammon!" He got in my face, jamming his finger into my chest. "Listen up, and listen good. If you don't want me to skin you alive here and now, you'll hand over all of your valuables here and now."

I stared him down, my annoyance of my situation, as well as a personal pet peeve about being poked and having my personal bubble invaded, making me a bit bolder than normal. I slapped his hand aside, prodding _him_ instead.

"Get. out. of. my. face." I emphasized every word with a stab of my finger into his chest.

"Yes, Mammon." Lucifer rose menacingly behind me. "I would do what she says."

Mammon looked up at Lucifer, then at me. After a split second, when he didn't act fast enough, Lucifer punched him.

"Ow!" Mammon went stumbling backwards, holding his cheek. "What's the big idea? You're supposed to give me the chance to actually obey before you go through with your threat!"

Lucifer just adjusted his tunic again, an amused smirk still gracing his face, as I looked Mammon over.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say he's the Avatar of Greed." I looked at Lucifer to confirm my suspicions.

"Indeed," Satan piped up, smiling in amusement. "He governs and oversees all forms of it. Whenever he takes a liking to someone, they find themselves awash with money. But beware, fall from his favor, and you'll find yourself destitute."

"And he's also a masochist~" Asmodeus added with a playful grin and almost knowing wink. "That part's _very_ important."

"Oh, reeeally?" I looked Mammon over, Asmodeus' grin now mirrored on my face. "Is that why he acted like a scummy piece of shit?"

"No, that's just how he is," Satan said with a shit-eating grin.

"Shut up!" Mammon snapped. "I ain't a masochist, so stop lyin'!"

"Mammon..." Lucifer growled.

Mammon jolted, turning to Lucifer with an expression of fear. Lucifer then put a hand on my shoulder, pushing me towards Mammon.

"This is Isabella." Lucifer gestured to me. "For the duration of her stay, you will be in charge of seeing to her needs. I expect your _full_ cooperation."

"What?!" Mammon exclaimed, causing me to flinch from the sheer volume of his voice. "Why me?!"

"Awww, lucky you, Mammon!" Asmodeus whined. "I'm so jealous... it would be nice to have such a cute plaything."

"You want her, take her!" Mammon declared, shoving me towards Asmodeus' podium.

I stumbled, nearly face planting on the ground. Before I did, Lucifer gracefully stepped in, his arm catching me around my waist to prevent my fall. He helped steady me, keeping one hand on my waist, before turning towards Mammon.

"If I had wanted this job assigned to Asmodeus, I would have assigned it to him. But, I assigned it to you," Lucifer explained, annoyance playing at the edge of his voice. "No backing out, no weaseling out of your responsibilities. This is a direct command from me."

"But why me?!" Mammon moaned. "What about Beel? Why can't he do it?!"

Mammon seemed almost desperate at this point. I was half wondering if he might get on his knees and start begging.

"Because Beel might accidentally eat her," Asmodeus spoke up.

I found my gaze drifting over to Beelzebub. He gave a small shrug.

"Yeah, I can't promise I wouldn't."

I scooted slightly away from Beel's podium. Mammon just glared at the sixth brother.

"You're useless, you know that?! You don't have to eat everything!"

"Mammon?" Lucifer growled softly.

Mammon shrunk slightly, turning his attention back to Lucifer.

"Wh-what?"

"_Surely,_ you're not going to tell me you object to this arrangement, are you?" An aura of power and barely contained rage started radiating off Lucifer like a cloud of purple mist.

Mammon went wide-eyed, stepping back slightly. After a moment, he gave in and let out a grunt of defeat.

"Ugh, I hate you guys! Every last one of ya!" He reached over for me, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him. "I'll do it, okay?! You win! The human's my responsibility!" He then turned to me with a threatening glare. "Alright human, listen up. As much as I don't want to look after you, I've got no choice. It's a huge pain in the ass, and I'm too important for this kind of thing."

I ripped my arm free from his grip, meeting his glare. I stood there for a moment, starting to seethe with rage.

"Okay, clearly you don't like me." I stepped towards him, forcing him to step back. "Trust me, the feeling is mutual." I took another step, backing Mammon against a podium. "You think-" I pointed my finger at myself. "-I want some-" I wagged my finger in his face. "-selfish, self-absorbed asshole watching over me?!" I turned on my heel and began walking off.

"I like this girl already," Asmodeus smirked.

"Well guess what, human?" Mammon sneered. "Here is the Devildom, Diavolo's word is law, ditto for Lucifers. We ain't got a choice, got it?"

I stopped in my tracks, the tension between me and my new "friend" so thick you could cut it with a knife. I slowly turned back around, staring Mammon down with a look that could kill.

"Now that we have the matter of your caretaker sorted out, let's address the tasks you will be assigned for your stay here," Lucifer spoke up after a few moments, regaining the attention of the room.

"Wait, tasks?" I let out.

"Yes." Lucifer smiled as he explained. "Your task is to polish up your soul nicely and to acquire the power to resist demons."

"Way ahead of you on that last bit, Lucifer," I snarled, shooting Mammon a glare, to which he returned by sticking out his tongue like a child. Lucifer simply continued his explanation.

"This is a bit more than being rebellious with us. Demons like humans with nice souls. They are like shining jewels to us, and we will use every ability in our arsenal to tempt humans into relinquishing their souls. Acquiring souls is our task, so you will have your work cut out for you."

"Great..." I groaned.

"Don't despair," Lucifer insisted. "So long as you remain noble and keep your soul shining, they will be forced to make a run for it. You could say it's an experiment to see who would win."

"Yaaaay," I let out in faux excitement. "I've always wanted to be in a test study."

"Too bad her soul is already pitch black," Mammon muttered.

"Now, now, Mammon," Asmodeus admonished with a smile in his voice, descending from his podium with the grace of a runway model. "Don't go lying to our precious exchange student. I can see that her soul is a glittering diamond."

He approached me, giving me a warm, dazzling smile that could be described as pageant-winning. His entire form seemed to sparkle, as if he was a Twilight vampire. He took my hand in his, grasping it in what I assumed was supposed to be a sensual manner, bowing slightly.

"It's such a shame you were not assigned me as your guardian." He peered up from behind his lashes. "I would have been such a better fit for a gorgeous princess like yourself. If you ever need anything, you need simply ask for it."

I looked at Asmodeus with an uncomfortable expression before dislodging my hand from his.

"Uh… thanks... I think I can manage."

Asmodeus seemed stunned. He dropped his dramatic Romeo impression, looking me over with surprise.

"How odd, most women swoon at the very sight of me. How rare it is to find someone immune to my charm."

"I've just never been one for the whole 'Prince Charming' shtick." I shrugged.

"Lucifer, I'm still hungry." Beel spoke up, his grumbling stomach a more audible reminder.

"I know." Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose. "Behave yourself."

I looked over the various demons, from the Lord of the Devildom to the brothers that would essentially be my host family for the next year. I rubbed my head, feeling a headache coming on.

"This is a nightmare," I groaned.

"Don't worry, Belle," Diavolo spoke up once more. "I'm certain you will enjoy your stay at the House of Lamentation and become fast friends with Lucifer and his brothers. After all, you are the beginning of a universe where angels, humans, and demons accept one another. This is my dream, and you will be its foundation."

I met his gaze, seeing the optimistic expression on his face. He reminded me of a child who dreamed of becoming president. Unable to properly express my doubts of his dream, I just shook my head.

"This is gonna be one hell of a year," I sighed.


	2. The House of Lamentation

The House of Lamentation was exactly how I pictured a haunted house: tall, angular, and with a foreboding aura that would put the Addam's Family house to shame. It reminded me of the house from Clue, and honestly, the idea of finding a dead body in the foyer wouldn't surprise me. A massive wrought iron gate surrounded the property, which held the large gothic manor house, a skeletal oak tree, and an entire murder of crows. I looked up at the place I would be calling home for the next year, my heart dropping into my stomach. The verbal complaints from my unwilling guardian proved I was not the only one unhappy with the current situation.

"Ugh, I don't believe this," Mammon muttered. "Of all the rotten luck… Why should I have to look after some _human_? It's insulting, that's what it is!"

"Hey, I'm right here!"

Mammon ignored me, continuing with his complaints.

"The rotten bastard. Does he really think he can scare me into doin' whatever he wants?" He then turned to me, poking me in the sternum once more. "Just so we're clear, it's not like I can't say no to Lucifer, okay?! I only agreed to babysit you because, um… well, you know, because… uh..." he shook his head. "It doesn't matter! Just don't go thinking that I'm scared of Lucifer or anything, because I'm not!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I retorted, batting his hand away. "The only thing I care about right now is that you stop poking me like I'm some damn interactive museum exhibit."

Mammon looked at his slapped hand with annoyance and anger.

"Oh, now you're askin' for it! You have some nerve, talking to me that way. Aren't you scared of me? I am a demon after all, or are you too _stupid _for that fact to penetrate your thick skull?"

"Sorry, but right now you're more of an annoying, buzzing gnat that won't shut up than something to be scared of."

Mammon glared at me, looking like he wanted to say something.

"You… are one strange human, you know that?"

"Whatever." I shoved past him, cursing under my breath. "I'm going inside."

I pushed open the large gates, expecting the hinges to be loud and obnoxious. They did not disappoint, making a noise that scattered the crows with a chorus of caws and squawks. I made it three steps before Mammon seemed to realize I was leaving him behind. He quickly rushed to catch up to me, hopefully meaning he was taking his role as my guardian somewhat seriously.

…

There was, thankfully, no body strewn about the foyer, which filled me with some sense of relief. The general decor also somewhat alleviated my fear that I was stepping into a haunted house. Everything was clean and well-tended to. The paintings lining the walls were well kept and placed ever so carefully amongst the blue wallpaper. A long, ornate carpet led from the foyer to a large hearth room, where a fire was crackling in the fireplace. Twin gargoyle statues rested on two columns guarding the top of two different sets of stairs leading to the balcony of the second floor.

"Welcome to the House of Lamentation." Mammon gestured to the foyer, sounding like a bored tour guide. "This is one of the dorms here at RAD, and not just any dorm. It's the dorm reserved for the student council members."

"Riiiight, you and your brothers." I wagged my finger in remembrance. "I'm still surprised someone like you is a member of the student council."

"Hey!" Mammon exclaimed. "Lucifer, Asmo and the others may insult me, calling me scum, or a money-grubber, but I am an officer of the student council, same as them. I am the elite of the elite, the _top_ of the RAD social pyramid. In other words, I'm a big shot. A _real_ big shot. Like, even regular big shots are impressed by what a big shot I am. So don't you go thinking that I'm just some ordinary demon. I'm nothing like those other peons walking the halls here."

There was a long moment of silence. I stood there with my arms crossed, impatiently tapping my foot and giving Mammon a cold glare.

"Done?" I raised my eyebrow at him. "Besides, if you're such a big shot, then what does that make Lucifer, or Diavolo for that matter?"

"First of all, it's LORD Diavolo," Mammon corrected. "Show him respect, human. And to answer your question, they're even bigger bigshots than me, Diavolo being the biggest of the bigshots. He's so important that he's got his own castle."

I gave a silent 'ah', nodding slowly as he said this.

"Now, let's get this stupid tour over with."

He began walking briskly down the hall, forcing me to scramble to catch up.

…

"The first stop on our tour is Beel's favorite room, the kitchen." Mammon pushed the doors to the massive kitchen open. "He's always in here and always hungry. You want to actually keep your snacks, you better have one hell of a hiding spot."

I looked in the kitchen to see a spacious area that wouldn't look out of place in a five star restaurant. Everything was pristine and state of the art, the kitchenware all arranged in a way that was both artful and organized. On the massive fridge, there was a note stuck to the door with a magnet, written in a neat cursive handwriting I could only assume was Lucifer's

"_Beelzebub, please remember other people need to eat too._"

Mammon continued into the kitchen to push open a door on the other side, opening it to reveal an ornate room with a table large enough to hold a feast fit for a king. There were eight tall-backed chairs with what looked like hand carved stiles and backings. The center pieces were large vases filled with beautiful roses of all colors and stunning candelabras.

"Up next is the dining room where we have all of our meals." Mammon grabbed a chair that had a bat emblem on it. "This is my chair. You are not allowed to sit in it, got it?"

"Can I not touch it either?" I sneered as Mammon attempted to stare me down. A quick glance at the other chairs showed that all except one had different animals carved into the backs. "I'm guessing the emblems represent each of you."

"Yep, that one's yours." Mammon answered, pointing to a chair with no emblem.

I took a look at the chair, then Mammon grabbed me by the arm, pulling me out of the dining room. We walked up the stairs towards a long hallway with several doors. Mammon stopped in front of the first door, which was painted a matte black, gesturing to it.

"This is Lucifer's room. Unless you have express permission to enter, don't. Got it?"

Deciding to be somewhat cheeky, I leaned towards the door.

"Don't..." He warned as I reached for the doorknob. "Don't..."

My fingertips barely grazed the doorknob before he grabbed my wrist and pulled me away.

"Moving on!"

He dragged me over to another door, one that had several dents at about eye level. They seemed to be from incessant knocking from one or more angry parties. There were remnants of what looked like stick-on wallpaper starting to peel off of it, the faded designs made to look like various types of currency.

"This is my room, my sanctum, my personal Mammon cave. As it is full of all of my most precious treasures, it is no place for a _mere human_."

I took a deep breath to try and calm myself, which just forced the stench of dirty socks and old spicy ramen down my nose. I covered my face with my free hand, suppressing a gag.

"I'll try to restrain myself."

He dragged me some more, taking me to a door that was covered in anime stickers. There was a metal plaque nailed to it that said "Normies Keep Out!" as well as another, slightly larger one that said "No Mammons allowed!"

"This room belongs to our third brother, Leviathan, or Levi for short." Mammon explained as I finally managed to remove my wrist from his grip. "He rarely, if ever, comes out of his room, so I doubt you'll ever really meet him. Also, he never lets anyone in his room, so don't expect to see it."

"Sounds familiar. Is everyone in this family so uptight about their rooms?"

Mammon ignored the question. That was when I caught the scent of old books from the next door down. It reminded me of the smell of a library, something that made me feel quite nostalgic for home. I followed the inviting aroma, reaching the fourth door down the hall.

"Is this the library?" I asked, hoping the answer to be yes.

"No, this is Satan's room," Mammon corrected. "He collects musty old books. The rarer and more obscure, the better. Honestly, I could sell a handful of those books on Akuzon and make enough Grimm to last me a lifetime, and he just hoards them all in his room. It doesn't make any sense!"

"Clearly you aren't a reader," I muttered.

We moved on down the hallway, the smell of rosewater overpowering the scent of books. Classical piano music filtered through an ornately painted door covered in delicate flowers and golden flecks.

"Let me guess, Asmo's room?"

"Right on the nose. I still don't know how he convinced Lucifer to let him paint his door. I had to almost _beg_ him for my much cooler decorations."

I glanced back at Mammon's door, then once more at Asmo's. I then just gave a silent nod and kept moving, opting to avoid the conversation altogether. We approached the sixth room, which didn't seem to have anything special about its door. There were no overwhelming scents or decorations to take note of, which surprised me.

"Whose room is this?" I questioned.

"Beel's."

I waited for further explanation, but got nothing. Instead, Mammon just stepped over to the final room down the hallway. It was the one right next to the other set of stairs, meaning we had made one very large circle.

"And this is your room," he announced, grasping the handle and pushing the door open. "It's not much, but it's yours."

I stepped into the room, my eyes going wide at the sight of it. The room itself was the size of my apartment, soft carpets covering the hardwood floors. Ivy and other plants lined the walls, making the room feel like I was in a large garden. An ornate desk was tucked up against the wall, a stack of books I could only assume were my text books piled on top of it. A large skylight filtered in the moonlight from above, stained glass lanterns lighting up what the stars did not. A queen sized bed was situated underneath the skylight, the frame looking like it was made from some of the thicker vines. It had more pillows than I could count and a comforter that was a soft lilac, one of my favorite colors.

"This..." I put my hands over my mouth in disbelief. "This is my room?"

"Sheesh, are you deaf? I just said it was yours. You better not be trying to weasel your way into a bigger room."

"No, no!" I quickly held up my hands. "This room is perfect, I promise."

"Good," Mammon nodded towards a large wardrobe partially covered in vines. "Your spare uniforms and stuff are in there, your bathroom's through the door to the left, and if you need anything, good luck."

He promptly turned on his heels and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him a little harder than necessary. I let him leave, still taking in the full scope of my room. I took the opportunity to take a look at my new wardrobe, finding two more uniforms identical to the one I wore now, as well as some casual attire that I'm certain was taken from my closet back home. I even found the pajamas I had been in, carefully cleaned, folded, and placed in a drawer with a couple nightgowns the same lilac color of my sheets.

Closing the wardrobe, I walked back over to my massive bed, a smile forming on my lips as I approached. It seemed even bigger with each step, and I could not suppress the childish urge to jump on it. I twirled on my heel and fell backward, flopping onto the bed with a soft plop. The bed seemed to form around me, as if beckoning into its satin embrace. I was just about to succumb when a shout rang out from down the hall.

"MAMMON!"

I jolted out of bed, scrambling for the door. I poked my head out, looking down the hall to see Mammon being cornered by a new face. It was a boy with pale skin and blue hair styled in a bowl cut. He wore the RAD uniform as well, a dark bluish-purple tie hanging around his neck. He was a few inches shorter than Mammon, but his entire form was shaking with rage.

"Levi..." Mammon greeted with fear tinged surprise, "I thought you were still asleep."

I exited my room, approaching the duo as Mammon glanced over. Upon seeing me approach, he dashed to my side, grabbing and pulling me over.

"Human, you're just in time to meet Leviathan!" He declared a bit louder than necessary, situating me between him and his irate brother. "Levi, Belle, Belle, this is Levi, the Avatar of Envy. He's the third oldest of us and-"

"Mammon, give me back my money," Levi interjected, pushing me aside to face Mammon once more. "Do it now, then crawl in a hole and die."

"Come on, I told you I'd get it to you! I just need a little more time." Mammon had the expression of someone attempting to talk down a bookie. "...And you still want me to die even after I return it? That's harsh, Levi!"

"You need _a little _more time? How much more?"

"A little more, okay? A little more means a little more!"

"You've been telling me that for the last _200 years,_ Mammon!"

"200 years?!" I exclaimed.

"It has not been 200 years, Levi. It's been 260, get it right!"

"That's even worse!" Levi shrieked.

"Wow Mammon." I gave Mammon a look of disgust, "you really are a piece of shit."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm scum, a lowlife, a waste of space. Heard it all before, human! Come back to me when you have some original insults."

"Seriously Mammon, just give me back my money," Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I need it to buy the Blu-Ray box set of 'Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of a Little She-Devil and Her Reluctant Companion'. The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus."

I let out a soft whistle. Being a fan of anime myself, I could understand Levi's excitement and desire for this special promotion. Mammon, on the other hand, did not.

"I've got no idea what you're even talking about, Levi, but it doesn't matter! I don't have the money to give you, so how can I pay you back, huh?!"

"Oh, here we go again!" Levi threw his hands in the air. "More excuses! Why am I not surprised?!"

"You wanna go, Levi? Bring it on!"

I looked between the two demons, wondering if this was actually about to come to blows. However, it didn't. Instead, Mammon merely shoved me towards Levi, then bolted for his room. By the time the two of us had recovered, Mammon had slammed the door to his room shut, the sound of a deadbolt being locked reaching our ears. Levi gently pushed me away from him, adjusting his jacket before glaring at Mammon's door.

"That ass..." he shook his head. "He just used you as a distraction to get away from me. Though I suppose a sacrifice would be a better word."

"Trust me, it's not the first time," I said as I fixed my own tunic. "He tried to shove me onto Asmo and Beel before Lucifer threatened him."

"And you just let him do it? That's not very smart."

"Hey, I wasn't exactly given a choice." I pointed at myself. "I've spent most of today being pushed around, poked, dragged, and talked down to."

Levi sighed.

"Typical humans, so quick to-" He cut off, looking up at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "Wait a second… Humans… Yes, that's it! Are you free right now? Of course you are. Come with me!"

He turned towards his room, opening the door and going inside. I stood there for a moment, confused beyond words. After a few seconds, Levi stuck his head out of his room, looking right at me.

"Come on!"

The call propelled me towards the room, which I could only describe as an otaku's paradise. There were posters of various animes lining the walls, shelves of games, DVDs, and different figurines all across the room. One wall was nothing but a massive bookcase filled with manga books and video game guides. There was also a series of thick hardback books the size of encyclopedias dubbed 'The Tale of the Seven Lords'. A triple-screen computer set up was situated in the corner, a custom made keyboard and mouse situated in front of it. A massive flat screen was next to it, every video game console known to man and some that weren't attached to it. The one thing in the room that stood out the most was a large fish tank, one that took up an entire wall in and of itself, and yet only contained a single goldfish.

As I took stock of the large room, Levi carefully scanned the hallway, as if searching for anyone that may be listening in. He then closed the door behind him, letting out a sigh of relief as he did. I looked at him curiously as he did that, raising an eyebrow.

"What was that for?" I questioned.

"What do you think? Imagine if someone saw me inviting _you_ into my room! A _human_ who doesn't even look like an otaku, a _normie_! Do you have any idea what people would say?"

"Wait, you're afraid of a little gossip?"

That seemed to catch Levi off guard. He turned red, hiding his face behind a hand.

"Of… of c-c-c… of c-c-course not! Th… Th-that's crazy! There's room in my heart for only one person, and she's animated! I'll always stay faithful to my dear sweet Ruri-chan, always!"

"Ruri-chan?" I raised an eyebrow, more than a little weirded out. "You're not just an otaku, you're a full blown _hikikomori._"

"Exactly! So why would people gossip?! I mean, me and some non-otaku? Some Normie? And not only that, a _three dimensional_ one in the real world?! It's insane, that's what it is!"

Now feeling more than a little weirded out by the anime-obsessed demon before me, I turned away to try and find something to occupy my attention. My eyes returned to the hardback books on the book case, locking on one in particular. It was titled, 'The Lord of Shadow Awakens'. Levi noticed my interest and I swear he started sparkling.

"Are you a fan of 'The Tale of the Seven Lords'?"

"Sorry, I've never heard of it. What's it about?"

Levi stumbled backwards, stuttering in disbelief.

"You've never… never heard of… HOW?! How could you not have heard of TSL?!"

"I just haven't." I shrugged. "It does sound interesting though."

"Oh, it is far beyond interesting. It's a series of fantasy novels written by Christopher Peugeot. It's a heroic epic spanning 138 volumes, and it's the most widely-read fantasy series in the world! There are even theatrical versions, an animated series, and featured films too. It's even been translated into a total of 182 different languages."

"Okay," I nodded. "That is rather impressive."

"The 1990s theatrical version was an utter disaster, owing to the fact that they added several characters that were _not_ present in the original manuscript. At the time, I was like, 'this producer totally needs to crawl into a hole and die!' but then the 2015 version came out, and it was _amazing_! Better than amazing! If you ask me, it showed that needlessly cramming a female lead in there alongside Henry was a bad idea. That's not what he needs. What he _needs_ is a friend who really understands him, and the 2015 version proved that."

I just nodded along, attempting to look like I was paying attention. He'd already lost me, but I figured at least pretending I was still listening would be a good idea.

"Also, the most vital element of the story is that each of the seven lords is so unique. They're all so interesting in their own peculiar way. That's what makes TSL so great! The lords are all brothers, the oldest being the Lord of Corruption. He doesn't come across as being so bad at first, but he's always plotting and planning in secret. The second oldest is the Lord of Fools, a scumbag who'll do anything for money. The third oldest is called the Lord of Shadow, a brooding recluse. The fourth oldest is the Lord of Masks. He masquerades as a high-status, upstanding member of society, but underneath it all, he's an inhumane monster. The fifth oldest, the Lord of Lechery, only ever thinks of sex. The sixth oldest is the Lord of Flies, and he only ever thinks of food. Then, there's the seventh lord, the youngest called the Lord of Emptiness. He's weird… you never know what's running through his head."

This particular part of Levi's rant actually got my attention again. I thought back to my introductions to the brothers, comparing them to the lords in Levi's books. To my surprise, there were several correlations between these seven lords and the brothers. The Lord of Emptiness was still a mystery to me though, especially since I had yet to meet a seventh brother. I knew there was one, considering there were seven sins and only six were accounted for.

"Everyone seems to like the oldest lord, the Lord of Corruption, the best. Everyone always talks about how great he is. But not me. I like the third lord way more."

"That makes a lot of sense honestly," I remarked.

"Of course, I like Henry too," Levi went on, seemingly unaware I had even spoken. "He's the protagonist. He's almost as great as the third lord. The second lord is total scum, a hopeless degenerate that leads a life extravagance and indulgence. He's always causing trouble for the third lord. He's got these magical gold pigs that can give birth to solid gold piglets, and he treasures them above all else. So, Henry goes and talks to the pigs, and using his wits and powers of persuasion, he convinces them to leave with him. Then, he leads every last one of them away, and presents them to the third lord as a gift! Wow… I mean, they're _such good friends_ you can almost feel it! It's enough to make you cry!"

I was right back to nodding along.

"Oh, and then there's that one really awesome moment when the two of them realize they both like and respect each other, and they high-five! I just love that part, you know? I wish I could have a moment like that."

His excitement trailed off and he seemed to grow somewhat remorseful. I focused my attention again, giving him a sympathetic look as he continued once more.

"...I wish I could be like the third lord. I may be a recluse like him, but we're totally different, because he's got an amazing friend like Henry."

He walked over to the massive fish tank, leaning against the glass. The lone goldfish inside swam over to the glass, as if coming to Levi's aid. Levi pressed his hand lovingly against the glass with a sigh.

"The closest I have is Henry, my precious goldfish. I love TSL so much I couldn't help naming him after the main character. But I can't really high five a goldfish, can I?"

"No, I guess you can't."

"The original author of TSL, Christopher Peugeot, he's actually a human, you know? That's why I'm so jealous of you guys." He hung his head, his voice becoming envious. "Humans are so lucky. You've got subscription services that let you watch your favorite anime anytime, you can go to Akihabara whenever you want-"

"Akiha-what?" I tried to ask.

"Why do only you guys get to experience all the good stuff?" Levi whined, not hearing my question. "I mean, humans' whole concept of pleasure originally came from us demons, you know? We gave it to you. So, why can't we have a little of that back now, huh? I want to be able to go to a Japanese maid cafe, too. I want to hear the maids welcome me as if I'm the master of the house, to have them draw ketchup hearts on my fried rice omelet, to experience the magic of it all. I want to cosplay as Henry, and then go stand in the center of Akihabara, or maybe under that one building in Tokyo that's shaped like upside-down triangles. And once I'm there, I want to perform Henry's super powerful signature finishing move for all to see and say the incantation that goes with it. I want to shout it at the top of my lungs!"

He paused, and for a brief moment, I wondered if he was finally done with his elongated rant.

"...Actually, you know what?" Levi let out, forcing me to suppress a sigh. "I want to _be_ Henry!"

"But, you're not Henry. You're Leviathan."

"I know that. But still, I'm free to fantasize about whatever I want, now aren't I?" Levi snapped before taking a long breath and sinking to the ground. "Guess I've done a little too much talking. My throat hurts."

I walked over to a small mini-fridge that was tucked under the computer desk. I opened it, grabbing a can of soda with a brand name I didn't recognize. I handed it over to Levi, who quickly took it, opened it, and downed the entire can in one swig.

"Better?" I asked.

"Yeah, thanks for the drink." He held the can aloft for a moment, then got back to his feet. "Now, I didn't bring you here to tell you about TSL. I brought you here because Mammon is a complete and utter scumbag."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"How about this? I lent that scumbag money, and now I want him to pay me back. But, being the scumbag he is, he won't do it. I wish I could force him to, but despite what a rotten waste of space he is, Mammon is still the second oldest."

"And as the third oldest, you don't have the power to make him," I surmised. "If that's the case, then why even pick a fight with him? I mean, if you can't win, what's the point?"

"That is a long story, but sure, I'll tell you." I barely suppressed a groan as Levi started up yet another rant. "Once, a long time ago, Mammon won a prize in a convenience store promotional campaign. If you bought something, they'd let you reach into a box and pull out a piece of paper that told you what you won."

"Wow, what kind of convenient stores are down here?"

"Anyway," Levi pressed on, completely ignoring me. "The prize Mammon won was a Seraphina figurine, something I would've died to have. But, despite the fact that Mammon had no interest in it at all, he refused to give it to me."

"Why not?"

"Because I wanted it! That's it! The only reason he kept it was because I wanted it and he said no just to torment me! I mean, how awful is that?!"

I gave a small nod of agreement. It was a rather scummy thing for Mammon to do, and from what I'd seen of him, it didn't seem completely out of character.

"So, I got to thinking," Levi continued, now beginning to pace back and forth as he ranted and raved. "Mammon's gonna end up treating Seraphina like some random piece of junk, that much is a given. I can maybe handle it if he at least leaves her in her original packaging, but what if he actually takes her out of the box?! He might just do it! And if he does, he'll get dust on her, won't he?! That's why I decided I had to save Seraphina, so I snuck into Mammon's room in the middle of the night."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I held up my hands in disbelief. "You actually went into Mammon's room? Of your own free will?"

"I had to! I had to save my precious Seraphina!"

"So… what did you find when you went inside?"

"It was horrible," Levi shuddered. "He didn't even take her out of the plastic bag from the convenience store. He'd tossed her onto the floor, _the floor_! He actually left _Seraphina,_ the Queen of the High Elves herself, on the floor of his filthy, disgusting room! Sure she seems cold and prideful at first, but once you get to know her, you find out all she wants is affection, but she doesn't know how to properly express her desires. And Mammon just discarded her like garbage! _How could he?!_"

He stood there panting for a moment, slowly coming down from the sheer amount of rage that was coursing through him. I just watched, waiting for him to start again while secretly wondering if I should try to make my escape.

"I was so distraught by what I saw that I marched right over to Mammon's bed. I lifted up my leg, then brought my heel down as hard as I could onto his stomach. But the next thing I knew, he wasn't on the bed anymore. I blinked, and he was gone. Before I even had time to react, he grabbed me, picked me up, and slammed me head first onto the ground in a pile driver. And the worst part was that he was _stark naked!_"

"Okay!" I covered my ears, screwing my eyes shut. "I did not need to hear that part!"

"Whatever," he waved a hand dismissively as I tentatively uncovered my ears. "What I'm trying to get at is that Mammon can't be stopped by force alone, he's too fast. However, if a human were to make a pact with him, he'd be bound to their service. Then, he'd have no choice but to do what was commanded of him. That means you could order him to give me back my money, and Seraphina too!"

"Hang on just a moment," I insisted, taking a step back as I tried to process exactly what Levi was getting at. "What are you talking about? What's a pact?"

"Oh come on, surely you've seen a movie or two with demons in them. The demon lends their strength to a human in exchange for the human's soul."

"Uh-uh, nope." I shook my head violently. "Not gonna happen. I'm not giving up my soul."

"That isn't always necessary. It depends on what's in the pact. But, you do need to give something to the demon to make it worth the exchange, so it's pretty much inevitable."

"Well, I'm not giving up my soul."

"Luckily, when it comes to Mammon, that's not going to be a problem."

"But, why would I even want to make a pact with Mammon? I mean, he's a self-centered asshole that doesn't do anything unless it benefits him."

"Believe me, I understand better than anyone how awful he is, but he's still a powerful demon. Considering your precarious position here, having someone like him under your thumb would be a benefit. He wouldn't be able to push you around anymore, and he'd actually start taking care of you if you commanded it."

I have to admit, the idea did have some merit. The threat of being eaten was still looming over my head, and in his current state, Mammon was certainly going to be more of a burden or a threat than an actual guardian. However, if what Levi said was true, I could make him actually do his job, and from the way Levi was talking, I wouldn't have to give up my soul. Unable to let the chance slip my, I turned back to Levi.

"What do I have to do?"


	3. The Pact

The first day of school has always been a source of anxiety for me. The first day at a demon academy turned out to be even worse. As I walked through the massive halls of the Hogwarts-esque institution, all eyes were locked on me. Each and every student stopped what they were doing to look me over, their eyes boring holes into me. I shrunk into my tunic, trying to make myself as small as possible. That's when the whispers reached my ears.

"It's her, the other human."

"She's so skinny."

"I heard Mammon's supposed to be babysitting her."

"I wonder how long she'll last before she gets eaten."

"I give it a week."

Just as I was about to start running, an arm slipped around my shoulders. The whispering suddenly cut off and all the stares seemed to drift away from me. I looked over at the owner of the arm, finding myself meeting eyes with a boy with bleach white hair and silver eyes.

"So, we finally meet," He declared, ushering me down the hall. "Isabella Collins, yes?"

"Uh, yeah," I nodded, still trying to process exactly what was going on. "Just Belle is fine though. Who are you?"

"So suspicious," the boy admonished. "Then again, you don't seem to have as much experience with demons as I do. In fact, I daresay you lack any magical talent. Were I in your shoes, I'd be weary too."

His insults grated at me and I dislodged myself from his grip.

"I asked you a question. Who are you?"

"My name is Solomon." He bowed with a small flourish of his right arm. "I'm the other exchange student from the human world. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Really?" I asked, unable to keep the skepticism out of my voice. "You're human. No offense, but all that talk of magic and dealing with demons makes that rather hard to believe."

"Well, I will admit that there are times that even I question my humanity."

"That's not helping your case."

"Alright, alright, let me explain." Solomon gently waved me down before beginning his story. "Long ago, I obtained a ring of wisdom, a gift from a certain someone in a _very_ high position. I ended up getting drunk off its power and used it to form pacts with, uh…" He paused, looking down at his fingers as if counting for a brief moment. "70...71...72 different demons, becoming a wicked sorcerer."

"A sorcerer," I repeated, my voice laced with disbelief. "There's no such thing as sorcerers."

"Just like there's no such thing as demons."

I went to retort, but found myself at a loss for words. After a second, I just growled at him, to which he merely gave me a smug smirk.

"Regardless, I am human. The only difference between you and me is I have the power to defend myself from being eaten."

At that moment, a mournful toll rang out across the building, one that made Solomon perk.

"I do not, however, have a way to prevent us from running late to class. See you around, Belle. Take care of yourself." He waved as he turned to head to class. "Oh, and uh, don't get eaten."

I then scrambled to get to my own class, wondering just how I managed to be the only normal human in this entire realm. However, someone caught me by my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I stiffened, expecting an attempt to eat me. However, my fears were unfounded as I came face to face with the eldest of my host family.

"Good morning Isabella," Lucifer greeted. "You've become quite the celebrity, haven't you?"

"Morning Lucifer. Trust me, it's not on purpose."

"Well, I'm just glad to see you made it through the night without being eaten. Still, there's no guarantee that you'll make it to tomorrow."

I gave Lucifer a deadpan stare.

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence," I muttered sarcastically.

I attempted to move past him to continue my way to class.

"Did I see you talking with Solomon?" Lucifer questioned.

I paused, the question catching me off guard. I turned back to him, giving him a confused look.

"Yeah, so what? He's human, isn't he?"

"He is, yes, and I have no qualms against you associating with him. However, he can_n__ot_ be trusted." He looked almost angry as he said this. "He may be a mere human, but he has a ring imbued with wisdom-"

"I know," I interjected. "He told me about his ring and how he's a sorcerer. What's the big deal?"

"The 'big deal' is that he is the type of man who will try to subjugate even a powerful, greater demon if he gets the chance."

His mention of subjugation clicked with something in my head. My mind drifted back to my talk with Levi last night, and our discussion on how to get Mammon to make a pact with me.

…

"_Lucifer has something Mammon wants, something he'd kill to get," Levi informed me. "His credit card."_

"_Hold on, someone actually gave Mammon a credit card?" I snorted loudly, covering my mouth to hide a chuckle. "Man, he must have maxed that sucker out pretty quickly."_

"_Oh yes, Mammon is beyond dependent on that thing. He called it his 'one true love', slept with it, and I think he even named it. He treated it like it was a woman or something." I recoiled at the imagery, letting out a shudder as Levi continued. "Eventually, Lucifer got completely and utterly sick of Mammon's behavior and confiscated it. There's nothing Mammon wouldn't do if it meant getting his credit card back."_

"_So if I find out where Lucifer hid Mammon's credit card, I can use that as a bartering chip to get Mammon to make a pact with me?"_

"_Exactly!" Levi clapped his hands together before throwing them in the air. "There's hope for you after all, human."_

"_Belle, and how would I go about finding the card?"_

"_You'll need to ask Lucifer where he hid it, but you can't make it too obvious that you're looking for it. You've got to be subtle, like it happened to come up naturally. Make sure you do a good job, or else!"_

…

"Speaking of powerful demons, I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me more about Mammon." I kept my voice casual, channeling every ounce of annoyance and contempt I felt for the demon into my words. "He's been incredibly unhelpful and had continuously ignored me or pushed me around. I was hoping you'd be willing to give me some insight on his character so I could better deal with… well, deal with him."

Lucifer looked surprised by my request, but it was short lived. He gave a small nod, then rubbed his chin in thought.

"Well, Mammon is my brother. I don't want to speak ill of him, so I'll try to be sparing in my criticism." He let out a small cough before crossing his arms. "He's pure scum. The scummiest sort of scum. Pure, unfiltered, disgusting scum to the point that I'm embarrassed to call him a fellow demon, much less my brother."

I was more than a little shocked by the amount of hate directed towards Mammon, especially considering this was supposed to be 'sparing' criticism.

"Wow..." I gave a slow nod as I recovered from my shock. "Tell me how you really feel."

"I believe I've expressed my feelings quite well as is."

"Right, right." I held up a hand. "What I don't get is how you're able to deal with him so easily. Do you have some sort of blackmail on him, or do you just know what his Achilles heel is?"

"I suppose both would be the appropriate answer. He has one rather prevalent weakness, one I have seized and frozen."

Before I could ask for any further details, the mournful toll rang out once more and I realized that it was the warning bell for class to start. I cursed under my breath.

"The bell, I gotta go!"

"Yes, you don't want to be late on your first day here."

He walked off towards his class and I rushed towards mine, just barely making it before class started.

…

I made it through my first day of classes without any major upsets. I continuously attempted to find seats in the back, figuring the less attention I drew to myself, the better. Occasionally, I succeeded. Other times, not so much. Still, I didn't get eaten, and I was still in one piece. I returned to the House of Lamentation, laying down on my bed and trying to sleep.

Unfortunately, sleep was not on the table for me tonight. Something unexpected kept nagging at my thoughts: the seventh brother. No one had said anything about a seventh brother, but it was easy to figure out. After all, there were seven sins, and I had only met six Avatars. The seventh brother, the mysterious Avatar of Sloth, had yet to show himself.

Before I could think any more on the seventh brother, my D.D.D. began to chime. I rolled over on my bed, snagging the D.D.D. off the nightstand and taking a look.

**L3V1: You awake?**

I let out a soft groan before answering.

**Tinker Belle: Yeah, can't sleep.**

**L3V1: Did you learn anything about Mammon's credit card?**

**Tinker Belle: Only that Lucifer froze it. Doesn't surprise me honestly. If I was in his shoes, I'd freeze it too.**

Levi didn't answer for a while, so I set my D.D.D. down. I adjusted my pillows so I could have a pyramid of cushions to lean on, sitting up as I reconfigured my blankets and picked up my D.D.D. again. By the time I finished this, Levi had messaged me back.

**L3V1: You're absolutely sure that's what he said? He froze the credit card?**

**Tinker Belle: Yes, I'm absolutely sure.**

There was another brief moment of respite between messages before Levi sent his next one.

**L3V1: Come to the kitchen. Right now.**

I looked at the D.D.D. in confusion as another message popped up.

**L3V1: Don't tell anyone what you're doing. I don't want anyone mistakenly thinking I like hanging out with some human normie.**

I was tempted to send him a message reminding him it was the middle of the night, but I decided against it. With a grunt of reluctance, I threw off my covers and got out of bed, grabbing one of the thinner blankets and wrapping it around myself. I slipped out of my room, my bare feet padding lightly on the wood floors as I made my way to the kitchen.

As I pushed the doors open, I was met with the sound of munching and slurping. Everything was pitch black, save for a lone figure illuminated by the light of the open refrigerator. I approached the figure carefully, clutching my blanket tightly around me.

"Hello?"

The figure straightened up sharply, choking on whatever they were eating. They grabbed their throat, stumbling back as they coughed and wheezed, attempting to regain control of their breathing. This allowed me to finally get a good look at the figure, who revealed himself to be Beelzebub.

He was no longer dressed in the uniform, in fact, he seemed to be half dressed. Completely lacking in the shirt department, and showing off a _very_ well sculpted chest, all Beel was wearing was a pair of fleece pajama pants covered in emoji food symbols.

"Don't scare me like that! I almost choked to death!"

"Sorry, sorry." My eyes were locked firmly on his chest and I was certain my face was several deep shades of crimson.

"What are you even doing down here?"

"Got the munchies," I shrugged. "Came down to get a snack."

Beel beamed at me, his entire face lighting up like a kid in a candy store.

"Well, that makes two of us. The others don't understand that when you get hungry in the middle of the night, you can't just wait until morning. Unfortunately, the fridge is empty. I ate everything in there."

I nodded along absentmindedly, my mind drifting back to the seventh brother. Mammon had been quite hesitant to mention anything about Beel's room, leading me to believe that perhaps there was more to it. The fact was that there were only seven bedrooms, including my own, so maybe Beel shared his room with the Avatar of Sloth.

"Hey Beel, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He was still beaming happily. "What do you want to know?"

"You're all Avatars of the Seven Deadly Sins, right? Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. I've met the first six, but not Sloth. Who is he?"

Beel's grin dropped in an instant, his face becoming hard and his eyes grew cold. He grabbed me by the arms, looking me dead in the eye.

"Listen to me, Belle." His voice was low, reminding me of a hungry bear. "Don't _ever_ mention him in front of Lucifer, got it? I'm not going to tell you anything either because Lucifer would yell at me if I did. Don't bother asking any of the others either. They won't talk about _him_."

The anger in his voice seemed to devolve into a deep sadness the more he spoke, a longing look in his eye. His grip on my arms loosened until his hands were just resting on my shoulders.

"… Even though he's our brother… we have to act like he doesn't exist. It isn't right. But, since no one can defy Lucifer..." He let me go, straightening up and facing me properly. "You know what? It's none of your business. I've lost my appetite, so I'm going back to bed and I suggest you do the same."

He walked off after that, the doors swinging closed behind him. I watched him go, my mind now swimming with even more questions than before. Why had Lucifer banned all talk of the seventh brother? Why did Beel look completely heartbroken? Just what was going on in the House of Lamentation?

"Psst."

I blinked, looking around in confusion.

"Hello?"

"Over here!" a voice hissed from the direction of the pantry. "Look!"

I looked over at the massive pantry, where I could see a figure hiding inside, peeking through the crack in the door. I walked over, opening the door to reveal Levi. Like Beel, he was clad in pajamas, his consisting of a t-shirt covered in images of a beautiful anime woman in skimpy armor. A pair of dark blue shorts completed the ensemble.

"What are you doing in the pantry?" I wondered.

"I was hiding from Beel, that's what!" Levi hissed, still keeping his voice down. "I couldn't let him see me with you, now could I?"

I opened my mouth to retort, but Levi cut me off.

"So, it's really true, right? Lucifer definitely used the word 'Frozen'."

"Yes, as in froze his assets. It's a common thing to do. Why did that merit dragging me into the kitchen in the middle of the night?"

"Because I believe that Lucifer hid Mammon's credit card in here."

Now I was completely confused.

"You're not making any sense, Levi."

Levi just growled, then marched out of the pantry and over to the fridge.

"He put it in the freezer, human."

There was a moment of confused silence as I tried to process Levi's train of thought. The more I did, the less it made sense.

"You think Lucifer… froze Mammon's card… by literally freezing it?"

Levi ignored my question. Instead, he opened the freezer and began rummaging through it. I moved in behind him, watching as he began listing off the contents.

"Crap ton of ice, but no card… an ice cream Satan hid from Beel about a century ago." He let out a single chuckle. "Bet it'll be another 2000 year before he remembers it's here, but no card."

"Levi, it's not there." I rubbed my face and shook my head. "Seriously, Lucifer's probably got it hidden in his room somewhere, not stash in the-"

"Wait!" Levi interjected, causing me to jump. "There's something behind the ice."

He pushed bits of ice aside, several pieces falling to the ground as he did. He then pulled out a large block of ice with a black credit card stuck right in the center of it. I just stared at the lump of ice in complete and utter disbelief.

"Okay… He actually did freeze it… Literally"

"Yeah, this thing's so big…" Levi grunted as he struggled to hold the encased card, "and so heavy..."

He dropped it on the counter, the massive ice block sliding slightly on the metal surface as the two of us looked at card in the middle.

"So..." I drummed my hands on the counter. "How do we get it out of the ice? Big ice pick? Blow dryer?"

"Nah that would take too long." Levi grabbed the ice once more. "Will you open the microwave for me?"

I nodded, walking over to the microwave situated in the wall. I opened the door and Levi slid the ice inside, knocking the door closed with a loud clack.

"Two minutes on auto should do the trick." he punched in the numbers before hitting the start button. "Let the defrosting commence!"

Just before he could start it, the door was thrown open by a half asleep Mammon wandering in. Both Levi and I jumped at the sound of him entering. He was clad in only a white t-shirt and a pair of golden basketball shorts, his hair sticking up in every direction from obvious bedhead.

"Sheesh, what's with all the racket you two?" He let out a yawn before fully taking note of what was going on. "Hey, wait a minute! In the microwave… is that-?"

He rushed over, looking through the window of the microwave at the massive ice block and the contents within it. His face broke out in a massive grin as he almost began jumping up and down.

"That's Goldie, my credit card! My baby! The one thing more important to me than life itself!" He turned to me and Levi in an instant. "Get it out of there before the microwave demagnetizes it and makes it useless!"

I cursed, instantly hitting the end button on the microwave. It stopped its defrost cycle and I opened the door, grabbing the now much smaller ice chunk. It wasn't nearly as heavy as before and I could hold it much easier now. I was fairly certain that if I dropped the ice, it would shatter easily and free its plastic prisoner.

"I can't believe you two!" Mammon exclaimed. "How could you do something so stupid?! You're both as dumb as stumps, ya know that?!"

Levi just smirked, crossing his arms and getting a, pun unintended, devilish look in his eyes.

"Hmm, are you sure you should be talking to us like that, Mammon?"

I matched his expression, adjusting my grip on the ice block.

"Yeah Mammon, after all, we're the ones who found your credit card." I couldn't help but smirk at the look of surprise and betrayal on Mammon's face. "If you want it back, you're going to have to listen to our demands."

"_D-d-d-demands?!_" Mammon was red with anger until he realized just what kind of predicament he was in. "I mean… Right, demands. Leviathan, Hu-... Belle, go on and tell me what you want of me."

Levi began laughing, unable to hold it back.

"Wow, this is just embarrassing." Levi turned to me, still snickering. "I can't believe all it took to make 'The Mammon' abandon his pride was holding his beloved credit card hostage!"

"Hey Mammon," I called out, getting the demon's attention. "On your knees."

Mammon's eyes became the size of dinner plates as he opened his mouth to object. I simply adjusted my grip on the ice once more and his mouth snapped shut. He dropped to his knees, glaring daggers at me the entire time.

"Lower," Levi chimed in.

Mammon growled, but lowered himself further, planting his hands on the ground and bowing his head before us. I completely lost it at that.

"Look at this!" I cackled, nearly doubling over in laughter. "One of the esteemed members of the student council bowing before his younger brother and a mere human!"

"Honestly, Mammon," Levi tsked, shaking his head in mocking disappointment, "you should be ashamed of yourself."

Mammon didn't get up, as if afraid of angering us and losing his chance to get his precious credit card back. He did, however, lift his head to face us, his cheeks a deep crimson hue from embarrassment.

"Is this all you want from me? To humiliate me?"

"No, we're just getting started," Levi informed him. "My demand is that you give me the Seraphina figurine you won at the convenience store."

"The what now?" Mammon asked in clear confusion. "What're ya talkin' about? When did I win something like that?"

Levi's jovial manner suddenly became dark and bitter.

"I don't believe this!" He threw his hands in the air in disbelief. "You forgot you even had her?! How could you?!"

"Look, if I have something like that somewhere, you can have it!" Mammon promised, his hands tightening into fists on the ground. "Just give me back my credit card!"

"Hold on," I warned. "I haven't told you my demand yet."

"Sure, sure, whatever you want, just name it!"

"Make a pact with me."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you-" He cut off, as if finally registering what I was asking. "Wait, _what?!_ Why d'ya want _me_ to make a _pact _with_ YOU_?!"

"Let's see," I scooped the ice chunk into one arm so I could begin listing my reasons on my fingers. "You'll have to do whatever you're told, I'll be able to get you to actually do your job of watching over me, and I'll be one step closer to fulfilling my assignment for my exchange."

"Plus, she can order you to give me the money you owe me," Levi added. "Since you won't be able to refuse a direct order, you'll have no choice but to obey. Game over, we win."

Mammon straightened up, his face a mask of anger as he rose to his feet.

"So let me get this straight. You went through all this trouble, hunting down _my_ credit card and roping this human into making a pact with me… all for a little money? I can't believe this, Levi!"

"Excuse me?" Levi crossed his arms again. "Need I remind you which one of us was just prostrating themselves before us just to get his hand on a _credit card_?"

"Oh shut up, Levi!" He then turned to me. "And you! You realize Levi's just using you, right?"

"Maybe, but I still benefit from this deal," I shrugged. "Now, make a pact with me."

"Uh-uh!" He shook his head violently, stepping back while holding his hands up in a warding off gesture. "No way! Not interested! I am the Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed, one of the seven rulers of the Devildom! Do you actually think I'd let some _human_ be the boss of me?"

Levi and I exchanged looks, grinned at the same time, and then nodded.

"Oh Lucifer!" I shouted, my voice like that of a little kid tattling on their naughty siblings. "Mammon's unfreezing his credit card!"

Mammon hastily changed his tune.

"I mean, of course, I'll make a pact with you, human! I'd be thrilled to!"

Levi pumped his fist, then took the ice block from my arm. I shook my now freezing arm, divesting it of the cold water covering it and trying to get feeling back in the limb. Once I was finished, I turned to Mammon.

"So, how do we do this?"

"Take Mammon's hand," Levi instructed, waiting until I did so before continuing. "Mammon, I do believe you know the oath by heart now, considering the number of pacts you've made with witches."

Mammon growled, but began the oath.

"I am Mammon, Avatar of Greed. I..." he tightened his grip on my hand, forcing himself to continue, "pledge myself to you, Isabella Collins, that we may be bound by an… unbreakable pact. This I swear to you on both my name and the very blood that runs through my veins."

Our clasped hands began to glow in golden light, one that swirled around our wrists for several seconds. The light then hardened, becoming golden bracelets on both of us. Mammon's was a solid ring of gold while mine possessed a strange golden charm dangling off of it. The charm was shaped almost like a sun, one that was hovering over a star.

Releasing Mammon's hand, I examined the bracelet now on my wrist. I gave it a tug, finding it too small to remove, yet loose enough that it rested comfortably. Mammon examined his own bracelet, seemingly letting out a sigh.

"Well, at least it's not a tattoo this time," he muttered.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Those bracelets are physical representations of your pact," Levi clarified. "It manifests differently, depending on who's making the pact. I'm certain that as you make more and more pacts, more charms will appear on your bracelet."

"Oh, cool."

"Yeah, yeah, very cool," Mammon spoke dryly as he tugged slightly at the bracelet. "Can I go now?"

"Uh-uh." Levi wagged his finger. "There's still the matter of my Seraphina figurine and my money."

"Ugh." Mammon flopped dramatically onto a chair. "Can't that wait until morning?"

Levi turned to me and I crossed my arms.

"Mammon, give Levi his figurine, and his money. Now."

Mammon suddenly bolted out of the chair, as if something had kicked him out of it. He then began marching off towards the kitchen, much to his chagrin.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He shouted. "What the hell?!"

"She gave you a direct order, Mammon," Levi reminded him. "Just be a good little demon and give me what I want, then we can all go to bed."

Mammon grumbled under his breath as he marched off, Levi following behind him with a massive grin on his face. I watched them go, then took another look at the bracelet on my wrist. I played with the charm for a moment, a smile slowly sprouting on my face.

"I could get used to this."


	4. The Aftermath

At breakfast the very next day, Mammon did everything he could to hide his new bracelet. Unfortunately for him, his behavior was an instant red flag for Lucifer, who quickly found the source of his brother's anxiety. Upon realizing the bracelet was solid gold, he'd demanded to know where Mammon had purchased it. The threat of a beating spurred Mammon to admit he'd made a pact with me, to which Asmodeus erupted into laughter.

"Asmodeus," Satan admonished. "Keep your voice down. Do you want to have Mammon bitching and moaning all day?"

"Oh come on, Satan, how can you _not_ laugh after hearing that?" Asmo leaned over, patting me on the back. "Our little Belle managed to play Mammon like a fiddle and force him into a pact."

Satan cracked a smile, a small laugh escaping his lips.

"See?" Asmo gestured to Satan. "I hear you laughing."

"I must admit, I'm quite impressed you outfoxed Mammon and forged a pact with him," Lucifer spoke up, a smile on his face. "Your opponent may have been an ignorant dimwit, but even so, well done."

"Thanks," I said softly, blushing a bit from all the praise.

"I imagine Diavolo will be pleased as well," Lucifer went on. "We'll continue to expect big things from you."

Beel remained oblivious to the conversation, stuffing his face with an entire bowl of steak and eggs. He would occasionally moan in delight, muttering praise for the taste of the food and completely ignoring the drama going around. Mammon just pulled the sleeve of his uniform over his bracelet as Asmo turned his attention to me. He took my hand, looking at the bracelet on my wrist before taking the charm in his fingers.

"How _did_ you pull it off? I never would have thought an average human could make a pact with one of the Seven Lords, much less _this_ quickly."

"Levi gave me the idea," I admitted as Mammon snarled into his breakfast. "He helped me find Mammon's weakness and taught me how to do the Pact ritual."

"So, this was a combined effort of you and Levi?" Satan questioned. "Now _that _is impressive."

"I'm just happy to have rescued Seraphina from Mammon's room, and that I finally got my money back," Levi spoke up. "That Blu-ray box set and promotional tickets are so gonna be mine. Epic win for Leviathan!"

He threw his hands in the air in a "V for Victory" pose, smiling from ear to ear. As he sat back down to resume eating, Asmo turned to me with a flirtatious smile.

"So not only did you make a pact with Mammon, but you managed to win over Levi? Way to go, human."

Levi choked on his eggs, turning red as he coughed. He recovered quickly, glaring at Asmo with embarrassed rage.

"Excuse me?! Don't go getting the wrong idea. Nobody 'won me over'! Our interests just happened to align, that's all! The relationship was purely _business_! I mean, why would I want anything to do with some non-otaku _normie_ of a human?! I wouldn't! I mean, I'm spoken for! I'm no cheater! M-m-my one true love is-!"

"Cheeseburgers!" Beel suddenly shouted, lifting his fork in the air.

Satan, Asmo and I all started snickering as Levi turned several more shades of red. Mammon just kept his eyes glued on his plate, trying to avoid everyone's gaze. Lucifer just looked tired, pinching the bridge of his nose and walking out of the room, no doubt to get some peace and quiet.

"No!" Levi groaned, face palming hard. "That's _your_ one true love, Beel!"

"Mmm, I get hungry just thinking about them." He scooped up another hearty bite of steak and eggs, shoveling them into his mouth.

Levi gave up after that, flopping onto the table and letting out a long, pained moan. Asmo finished snickering, turning back to me and wrapping an arm seductively around me.

"You know, the way things are going, the rest of us might just find ourselves in a pact with you as well if we're not careful." His flirtatious grin returned as he brushed a lock of brown hair from his eyes. "If you had to choose, which one of us would you forge a pact with next?"

I looked among the brothers, genuinely giving it some thought. I immediately ruled out Lucifer. Considering his clear animosity with Solomon, attempting to form a pact with him would probably be a suicide mission. Levi would be an interesting demon to make a pact with, but he was beyond obsessed with his otaku image that it bordered on psychotic obsession. I didn't know much about Satan, aside from his love of books. Being an avid reader, having him in a pact wouldn't be so bad. I'm almost certain we would have a lot to talk about. Asmo was hard to read, but his narcissism grated at my nerves, and I was certain he'd be almost unbearable if he was in a pact with me. Finally, there was Beel. He seemed the easiest to handle, considering the only thing on his mind was food. If anything, I could bribe him with food to get him into the pact, and then I wouldn't have to worry about him potentially eating me.

"I'd probably have to say Beel," I finally decided.

"Count me out," Beel announced before giving the idea some thought. "Although, if you made sure I always had tons and tons of food, as much as I could eat, then I'd consider it."

He then reached over to my plate, taking one of the pieces of bacon and eating it in one bite. Satan took note of this and shook his head.

"Beel, stop taking food off other people's plates!"

"Well, no matter who you choose, you won't be able to tame us as easily as you did Mammon," Asmo warned, growing serious. "In fact, it's quite offensive of you to think that we're as stupid as that poor excuse of a demon."

"Whoa, hang on!" I exclaimed, dislodging myself from Asmo's grip. "When did I ever say that? You guys are nothing like Mammon. I mean, he's garbage incarnate, but the rest of you at least have some common sense and courtesy."

Suddenly, a hand collided with the back of my head hard, nearly knocking me into the table. I yelped, rubbing the back of my head as I turned back to the culprit. I wasn't surprised to see it was Mammon, who was on his feet and glaring at me with sheer hatred.

"What the hell, Mammon?!" I exclaimed. "What was that for?!"

"That was for calling me garbage incarnate, human!" He turned to his brothers. "Honestly, I should be smacking each and every one of ya for talkin' bad about me. Y'all think you're _so_ great."

"It's not that we think we're so great, we just think you're inferior simpleton and a poor excuse for a demon," Satan spoke up, taking a sip of his tea.

"That's even worse!" Mammon shrieked. "Don't treat me like I'm stupid!"

"I'm afraid that's one thing that's never going to change," Satan informed him, swirling the contents of his tea cup.

"Nope," Asmo beamed.

Beel just reached over to where Mammon was sitting, stealing his bacon as well and eating it. Levi laughed at that as Mammon just let out a roar of outrage.

"I hate each and every one of you!" He then flopped back onto his chair, crossing his arms bitterly. "This is all Lucifer's fault! If he hadn't kidnapped Goldie against her will, none of this would have happened!"

Asmo rolled his eyes.

"Will you please stop referring to your credit card as if it were a person?"

"Yeah, it's more than a little creepy," I admitted.

"Both of you, shut up!" Mammon snapped. "Also, I can't believe that when he said he froze Goldie, he meant that _literally_! Who sticks a credit card in the freezer?! What's up with that?! Was it supposed to be some sorta dad joke?! Cause if so, it was awfully lame!"

At that moment, Lucifer returned to the dining room, approaching the table from behind Mammon. Upon hearing his brother's remarks, he crossed his arms. Me and the rest of the table got panicked looks on our faces, which Mammon remained oblivious to.

"Eh, guess maybe I shoulda expected somethin' like that from him. I mean, he may not be a dad, but he's pretty old, isn't he? Guess I shouldn't be surprised he's a fan of dad jokes."

He then began laughing loudly and obnoxiously. It began petering out as he finally took notice of our faces. His face became filled with dread and his body tensed.

"He's right behind me, isn't he?"

The rest of the brothers and I nodded as Mammon slowly turned around. He promptly screamed, and then fell out of his chair with a hard thud. He sat up, rubbing his head from where he fell.

"Ow! Hey, what's the big idea?!"

Asmo shook his head, closing his eyes and resting his fingers delicately on his forehead.

"Mammon, you are so stupid that it's almost sad."

Satan nodded in agreement.

"I can't believe he's actually our brother. It's almost like we're being punished or something."

"I heard that!" Mammon shouted, picking himself up off the ground. "C'mon human, it's time to go."

He marched over to me, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me out of my chair. I yelped in surprise, dropping my fork as I was forced away from the table. I struggled to free myself from Mammon's grip as we exited the dining room, the scummy demon muttering to himself the entire time.

"I swear, ever since you got here, human, it's been nothin' but one bad thing after another for me." He stopped walking, pulling me so I was standing in front of him. "So, let's get somethin' straight. I didn't make this pact 'cause I wanted to, and I ain't happy about it! Everything I did, I did for my credit card. For my baby Goldie. If you end up gettin' yourself eaten by some demon here at RAD, don't blame me, _'cause I don't give a damn._ You got that?! Don't go thinkin' you're all great and stuff just 'cause you managed to make some stupid pact, human!"

"Oh shut up!" I ripped my arm out of his grasp. "Shut up, stop yanking me around, and stop calling me 'human'! I have a name! Use it!"

"What?!" Mammon glared at me, an expression I returned in kind. "You know, you've got a real nasty mouth on you, doncha?! Maybe I'll just go ahead and eat you right now!" He poked me hard in the chest, which really set me off. "You're just a lowly human, and nothin' more! So, you'd better learn your place, and fast!"

I let out a growl, my fists clenching in sheer rage. Luckily for Mammon, I remembered the events of last night and I grinned. I crossed my arms, smirking at the demon before me.

"Stay!" I commanded.

Mammon's feet suddenly froze to the ground, keeping him from moving from where he stood. He yelped in surprise, then tried to move his legs.

"WH-what's going on?! I-I can't move!"

I just smirked as Mammon began to truly panic. He turned to me with a mixture of fear and rage.

"Listen up, Hu-" His words caught in his throat, as if something was preventing him from speaking. He coughed, then tried again. "Hu-... Huma-... Belle."

I couldn't keep a chuckle out of my voice.

"There, now was that so hard?"

"Dammit!" Mammon threw his hands in the air in utter exasperation. "Again with this?! Fucking pact!" He pulled down on his face, growling before shooting me a death glare. "Now you listen to me! You may control my body, but not my mind! I'm my own boss, and I always will be! Don't you ever forget that!"

"Whatever you say." I gave him a dismissive wave as I begin walking off. "See you after class."

Mammon looked triumphant for a brief moment, then remembered his situation.

"Hey wait, wait! Tell me I can move again! Hu- Belle! Belle, my boss! Belle, your majesty!"

He devolved into hopeless wailing after that, to which I just laughed as I made my way to school.

…

Word of my pact with Mammon spread throughout RAD like a wildfire. As I made my way towards my first class of the day, I could hear the whispers of the students gossiping around me. However, unlike yesterday, their words did not fill me with fear or dread. Instead, I listened with amused interest, curious as to what my peers thought of my accomplishment.

"Is that her? The human who forged a pact with Mammon?"

"Yeah, that's her. I don't get it though. Why forge a pact with an ordinary human?"

I smiled happily at the rumors, glad that there was no more talk of eating me.

"Huh," a voice behind me spoke up. "Whenever you make an important announcement, the demons here couldn't care less. But _rumors_… they eat those up in seconds."

I turned to the demon who spoke, finding myself looking back at a green-haired man. He had a strange turquoise streak of hair on the right side of his face that was longer than the rest of his neat bowl cut. Like the rest of us, he wore the standard uniform, a dark green necktie completing the ensemble. He also had a pair of white gloves on, and carried himself like an old English butler.

To my surprise, this new demon was not alone. Standing next to him was none other than Diavolo himself, with Lucifer standing on the opposite side of the Demon Lord. Both of them were listening intently to the green demon, who shook his head with a small sigh, seemingly exasperated by what was going on.

"Honestly, just when I thought the uproar about the new exchange student from the human world had started to subside some, everyone began freaking out about this."

"Come now, don't say that, Barbatos," Diavolo admonished, smiling a bit. "Actually, I'd say all this gossip is a good thing. It means everyone will be watching this human, which makes it hard for any other demon to go after Belle's soul when no one is looking."

"Yes, since Mammon's not doing a very good job as a guardian," Lucifer growled. "I told him he was to look after Belle, but he's off somewhere shirking his responsibilities. Although, I can't say I'm surprised."

To my surprise, Diavolo turned to me and flashed me a proud smile. I turned red, realizing I'd been caught eavesdropping.

"I must say, I can't believe you managed to forge a pact with Mammon, Belle. That's no small feat. And what's more, you did it in such a short time."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me." I shrugged noncommittally. "Honestly, I just did it to try and curb some of Mammon's more annoying tendencies."

"Either way, it stands as proof that Lord Diavolo chose well in bringing you here," Barbatos spoke up.

"Thanks… Barbatos, right? I don't think we've officially met."

"Oh yes, my apologies." Barbatos gave me a small tip of his head, one hand flourishing slightly. "I am Barbatos, and I have the honor of serving as steward to Lord Diavolo. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Isabella."

"Just Belle is fine, and it's a pleasure to meet you too."

"Barbatos here is a smart and talented individual," Lucifer commented. "So much so that I wish I could trade a certain idiot brother of mine for him instead."

Barbatos turned to Lucifer.

"Well, as for your brother, in the human world, it is sometimes said that a truly wise man does not flaunt his talents. He keeps them secret."

"Yes, but then again, an incompetent fool doesn't actually have any talents to begin with."

Diavolo chuckled, clearly amused by the conversation.

"Well, _I've_ heard it said that the most thick-headed child is always the cutest."

Lucifer looked away in embarrassment. His voice became desperate and somewhat pleading.

"Stop it, Diavolo. It's troublesome enough having him as my younger brother. But my child? _Him?_ I don't even want to think about it."

"Ah," a new voice chimed in. "but I notice that you didn't deny the part about him being cute, did you."

The voice was approaching from my right, so I turned towards the source. I found myself looking at a young man with chocolate colored skin, stunning blue eyes, and windswept black hair. Surprisingly, he wasn't wearing the usual school uniform. Instead, he was wearing a tight-fitting shirt with no sleeves and a high collar that showed off the sides of his torso. It was decorated with gold markings with segments of grey on the edge of the collar, a tiny patch of white resting on the center of the throat. Resting comfortably on his forearms was a large, white cape with a golden trim and string to keep it on. The inside of the cape was a beautiful blue to turquoise gradient that reminded me of the ocean. His pants were white with a black pattern on the top and he was also sporting black gloves with two golden lines that almost reaching his elbows. His smile was full of kindness and warmth, and just sitting near him just made me feel good about life.

"If I might offer my own opinion, out of you seven brothers, _you're_ without a doubt the most troublesome, Lucifer," the man went on in a tone that reminded me of smooth velvet.

Lucifer looked at the man with an expression that was difficult to read.

"Is that meant as a compliment, Simeon?"

Before Simeon could respond, there was the sound on an annoyed, childish snort right behind him. I leaned to the side, getting a better look at the source. Said source turned out to be a kid that didn't look much older than 11 or 12. He had short blonde hair under a white and gold beret. He was wearing a white robe with a blue and gold tie that looked like it was taken right out of the 18th century. A blue sash with golden stars was draped over his shoulder, the only color in the sea of white that surrounded this boy.

The boy turned glared at the demons with a look of childish anger and disgust. He gripped his small fists, his nails almost digging into the flesh of his palms as he shook them.

"Of course not!" The boy snapped indignantly, his voice cracking badly. "Duh! That was a put-down! An insult! He's taunting you!"

Lucifer's eyes flickered over to the boy with a hint of annoyance slipping through his unreadable facade.

"Ah, I see you've brought your Chihuahua along with you."

That seemed to set the boy off. He shook his fists again, glaring daggers at Lucifer.

"I am NOT a Chihuahua! How many times do I have to tell you that, demon?!"

"Well, what do you expect? I _am_ a demon after all." Lucifer got and amused expression on his face as he cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms. "Now then, stop yipping at me and be a good boy, okay?"

"Quit it! Don't you make fun of me! I'm _not_ a dog!"

I looked between Simeon and his juvenile companion, then turned towards Diavolo.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that these two aren't demons."

"Indeed not," Diavolo confirmed. "Allow me to introduce Simeon and Luke, the exchange students from the Celestial realm. Which is to say, they're angels."

Simeon turned to me, giving me a bright smile.

"Well, hello. Belle, yes? I've heard a lot of rumors."

"You're the first person to get my name right on the first try. Nice to meet you." I gave Luke a curious look. "So, what's with the Chihuahua? He's got quite a temper for a supposedly angelic being."

"I am an angel!" Luke exclaimed indignantly, his face bright red from either anger or embarrassment. "Don't get started on this too, human! I'm _not_ a Chihuahua!"

"If you're an angel, why are you so small?" I questioned.

"I'm not small! I'm simply a low-ranking angel. _But_ I'll have you know that in the Celestial realm, I report directly to Michael the Archangel, as-"

"Luke," Simeon interjected, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Calm down. You need to learn not to make such a huge fuss about everything."

"But Simeon...!" Luke whined, sounding very much like the Chihuahua everyone was comparing him to.

"He's right," Lucifer insisted. "This is why people call you a Chihuahua."

"Usually, the only one who calls me a Chihuahua is _you_, Lucifer."

"If I may interject," Barbatos spoke up, surprising me as I had forgotten he was there. "The bell will ring soon, and I highly doubt the professor will be pleased if we are tardy."

"Barbatos is correct," Simeon concurred. "The last thing we want is to cause any trouble for our fellow classmates, especially a fellow exchange student."

"In any event," Diavolo spoke up, "I'm just relieved to see that things are going well for you here, Belle."

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "Do look after Mammon for me, would you, Belle?"

"As I remember it, Mammon was supposed to be the one looking after Belle, correct?" Barbatos asked.

"Yes, that's how I remember it as well. Your point?"

Lucifer and Barbatos continued their pleasant debate as they walked off, Diavolo and Simeon following as well. This left me alone with Luke the Chihuahua. He looked at me, muttering something I could barely here. I looked confused, bending down so I could hear him better.

"What was that?" I asked. "I couldn't hear you."

Luke turned red, pushing me back so I was standing up straight once more.

"Don't lean down towards me like an adult listening to a child! You don't need to come down to my level! I'm not a kid!"

I held up my hand in a placating gesture.

"Whoa, easy there. I wasn't trying to be rude. I seriously didn't hear you."

Luke still looked annoyed, but clearly decided to just let it slide.

"I said, never trust a demon. Especially when that demon is Lucifer. He's a monster and a brute. He's uncivilized, immoral, and… and also..."

"And also a sadist?" I offered.

"Yes, exactly! He's the most sadistic of sadists!" Luke's voice lowered to a reasonable volume as he closed his eyes, sighing mournfully. "I was against this from the beginning. What are they thinking, bringing humans to the Devildom as exchange students?" His voice hardened once more and he met my eyes. "This is the only warning I'm gonna give you, okay?"

Before I could say anything else, the bell rang, forcing the two of us to begin heading for our respective classrooms. I watched Luke go, his words ringing in my ear as he disappeared from sight.

…

That night, I was laying in my bed in a desperate attempt to go to sleep. Much like the night before, sleep was just beyond my reach. Luke's words remains in my head all day and into the evening, making me uneasy. The fact that he called out Lucifer specifically didn't help things much. I let out a groan and rolled over, burying my face in my pillow, willing myself to go to sleep.

"...el..."

I stopped groaning, going still for a moment.

"...elp..."

I sat up in bed, almost certain I had heard something.

"Help… Someone help me..."

Those words had me out of bed in seconds. I didn't recognize the voice, but something inside of me knew I had to look into this. Grabbing my D.D.D. and the thin blanket from last time, I made my way out of my room to see what was going on. I slid through the familiar halls of the House of Lamentation, keeping my ears peeled for the voice again. Thankfully, I was not disappointed.

"Help... Over here!"

The voice led me to a large set of spiral stairs, ones I didn't remember seeing on Mammon's tour. Granted, said tour was not exactly the best, so it wasn't a surprise that there were rooms I didn't know about. I approached the stairs and was about to start climbing before a hand came down on my shoulder.

"Belle."

I jolted, turning around to see Lucifer standing behind me. He was dressed in black, silk pajamas with red trimming on the edge. Someone, even when dressed for bed, he still managed to look regal and put together. His face was stern as he looked at me.

"Don't take another step. You're not to go any further. This is not a place for humans. Go back to your room."

He tried to usher me away, but I wouldn't budge.

"What's up there?" I asked. "Why can't I go up?"

"I just told you, this isn't a place for humans. This is the _Devildom._ There are certain rules that must be followed here. Also, _my word is law_ to you. You can't, and you won't, defy me." He resumed ushering me away. "Now, let's go. Back to your room."

As Lucifer forcefully marched me away from the stairs, I couldn't help but think back to Luke's warning. What was Lucifer hiding up those stairs, and what was that voice I heard? It had stopped the second Lucifer showed up, which just set off more red flags. As I finally reached my room once more, I laid down in bed, all these questions continued to plague me. One thing was certain: there was something going on in the House of Lamentation, and I was going to find out what.


	5. The Tale of the Seven Lords

The Mystery of the Staircase continued to haunt me for the rest of the week. While the voice was no longer appearing in the night, I couldn't get its pleading cries out of my head for a single moment. A few nights after my first attempt, I tried to venture to the top of the staircase again. Like before, Lucifer materialized behind me, stopping me before I could make it a single step. I turned to him, seeing him giving me a threatening smile.

"Evening, Isabella. Out for an evening stroll?"

"Couldn't sleep." It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the full truth either.

"Well, it seems your nightly curiosity continues to bring you to these stairs. As I recall, I told you this is not a place for humans. Perhaps if you're having trouble sleeping, I can make you some tea. Something that will help you sleep." His voice gained an edge that made a shiver go down my spine. "You should probably know that it's a bit _too_ effective on humans, to the point you may find that you _never_ wake up again."

I took a step back.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm going back to bed."

"Excellent." Lucifer's smile became sweet and non-threatening in an instant. "Good night, Isabella."

As I walked back to my room, I could feel Lucifer watching me every step of the way. I knew that if I wanted to get to the top of the stairs, I needed to get rid of Lucifer. Luckily for me, I had the one demon with more beef against him than anyone under my thumb.

…

The very next morning, I sat down for breakfast with Mammon. The greedy demon was still bitter as hell, ranting into his breakfast plate. I just ignored him, having grown used to his complaining after listening to it non-stop for a week.

"Why do I gotta be stuck here with you-" he pointed two fingers at me as he snarled "-first thing in the morning, having to look at your face while I'm trying to eat my breakfast? To us demons, eating a human like you is a special sorta treat, understand?"

I gave him a half-hearted grunt of acknowledgement, to which Mammon took as an invitation to continue.

"Yet, I'm not allowed to do that. I've gotta sit here and eat my breakfast instead. I mean, it's like havin' a premium-grade roast triomote musk hog right in front of me. Medium rare, cooked to perfection… but I can't have it. Instead, I'm sitting here eatin' dried black belly newt legs." He paused, holding up one of the aforementioned newt legs. "I mean, I'm not sayin' black belly newt legs are bad. I actually like 'em, but still!"

I just gave another half-hearted grunt, chewing on a piece of bacon. I didn't know what a triomote musk hog was, but the bacon tasted a lot better than anything I could ever get back home. Once more, Mammon continued with his rant.

"And what's even worse is that thick, juicy hunk of meat has started giving me orders now, like it's the boss of me or somethin'. It's _really_ not fun. I mean, what sick kind of torture is this anyway?!"

I scanned the table with a bored expression, perking when I realized there was no one else eating breakfast with us.

"Hey, where is everyone?"

"Hey!" Mammon snapped his fingers in my face. "Pay attention when I'm talking to ya, dunce! Or do those ears of yours not work?!"

"Jeez, I was just asking a question. Calm down, Mammon."

Whether it was because of my order or just because I finally acknowledged him, Mammon did just that.

"Well, to answer your question, I'm sure the others have already scurried off to class and left me to look after ya on my own, the punks. Rotten bastards, every last one of them. This all comes back to Lucifer! Getting stuck having to look after a human, ending up in a pact, everything bad is his fault! The way Levi's haircut is so lame, and Satan's horns are so stupid-lookin', and Lucifer's feet are so putrid, all of it is Lucifer's fault!" He winced slightly. "Not that I've ever actually smelled his feet, but still!"

The mention of Lucifer reminded me that, at least at this moment, the eldest brother was nowhere to be seen. I took the chance, knowing I would probably not get another.

"What's at the top of the stairs?"

"Hey! I _told_ you to _listen_ to me when I'm _talkin_ to you! I was tryin' to tell you about Lucifer's fe-" He finally stopped talking, registering my question. "...Wait, what stairs?"

"That spiral staircase down the hall. I tried to go up them, but Lucifer kept turning me away. Hell, I'm pretty sure he threatened to poison me if I tried again."

"Oh, you tried to go to the attic." Mammon shook his head, sighing in resignation. "Oh man, there you go again, stickin' your nose where it doesn't belong..."

"So, do you know what's up there that Lucifer doesn't want me seeing?"

"Nope. The attic's always been Lucifer's spot. No one goes up there."

"Okay… how about this? Do you know how I can get up there to find out for myself?"

Mammon sighed, dropping his newt leg and turning to me with an annoyed face.

"Listen here Hu… Belle." He cursed silently as he was forced to call me by name. "Do you know the secret to getting people to tell you stuff? Go ahead, tell me."

I rolled my eyes.

"Normally I'd say asking nicely, but knowing you, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say money."

"Exactly! If ya wanna pry valuable information outta someone, you gotta offer 'em proper compensation! You know, something to make it worth the effort. However, if you think you can just offer Mammon here a little bit of money and he'll spill the beans, you're dead wrong."

"Oh come on, Mammon."

"I mean it. Just, pretend I told you somethin' I shouldn't. Lucifer would beat me half to death." A look of dread washed over him. "Actually, I'd be lucky if that's all he did. If I weren't lucky, he'd have me eliminated. It'd take a good two hundred million years to recover from that."

"Mammon..."

Mammon glanced over at me as I gave him the most pleading look I could muster. He let out an annoyed groan.

"Look, if you're bound and determined to buy this information off of me, then you'll have to offer me… let's see..." He pondered for a moment, then flashed me a, pun unintended, devilish smile. "How about the monetary equivalent of the world's total oil production? Two hundred million years' worth? That might do it."

I just gave him a deadpan stare.

"You're not gonna tell me, are you?"

"And she finally gets it!" He poked me in the forehead. "Glad we cleared that up, ya blockhead."

I was just about to throw in the towel when an idea struck me. I smirked, leaning on the table and propping my cheek on my hand.

"Huh, I didn't realize just how scared you were of Lucifer."

Mammon began sputtering, looking at me like I'd suddenly sprouted a second head.

"What?! Whoa, what'd you just say? You think _I'm_ actually afraid of Lucifer?! Me, the Avatar of Greed?"

"I don't think you're afraid of Lucifer, I _know_ you are."

"You gotta be kidding! I'm not the least bit afraid of him, got it!" He pointed at himself with his thumb before pointing at me with his index. "Not even a little!"

"No need to hide it from me. I can tell you're scared."

"I told you, I'm not!" He was beginning to sound more like a petulant child than a powerful demon. "I mean, that's crazy!"

I just gave him an exaggerated nod, expressing my disbelief. In response, Mammon just looked even angrier than before.

"Listen now, most of the time, I don't let people see the full extent of my power!"

"Your point?"

"My point is that even if I did face off against someone like Lucifer, I wouldn't even have to use all of my strength to win! Understand?!"

"Then you're not afraid to tell me how to get up those stairs?"

"No I'm not!" I silently pumped my fist as Mammon began his explanation. "Every demon has the same weakness: Temptation. You find something they love or enjoy or grabs their interest, and they'll be hooked."

"So, all I need is to find a way to distract Lucifer. Something tells me it won't be as easy as pulling a credit card out of a freezer."

"You kidding? Distracting Lucifer will be as easy as pie!" He leaned forward, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once, so clean the wax outta your ears and pay attention. You know that series Levi likes? The uh..."

"The Tale of the Seven Lords?"

"Right, that one. Well, what you need to do is get your hands on a vinyl edition of the soundtrack for that TSL whatever. Don't ask me why, but he's been wanting a copy for the longest time and I'm positive that if you get it for him, he'll be distracted for sure."

I nodded slightly, seeing the logic in this plan. Unfortunately, there were still several loose ends that needed to be addressed.

"Okay, but how exactly do I do that? I don't even know where to begin looking for this record."

"Try with the biggest TSL nerd in existence, duh. You honestly think Levi _doesn't_ have something like that somewhere in his nerd cave?"

"True." I got to my feet, setting my napkin down over my plate. "We better get to work then."

Mammon scoffed, looking up at me with a smirk.

"You got an imp in your pocket or something? This is your crazy plan for something you want. This has nothing to do with me and I get nothing out of it." He stood up, casually flicking his napkin onto the table. "Now, I have to get to class. See ya later!"

He turned and walked off, giving me a casual wave. I smirked, letting him get to the door before calling out to him.

"Mammon, come!"

All of a sudden, he began backtracking. He was bent backwards like a dog trying to pull on a leash. He yelped and struggled until he was standing two steps behind me and one step to my left. Once he was there, he finally regained control of himself.

"Screw you Hu- Belle! GYAH! I hate this fucking pact and your fucking control over me! It sucks!"

"Sorry, not sorry. Let's go."

I began walking and so did Mammon, only adding to the dog on a leash imagery.

"Hey, hey, _hey!_" He shouted as he was pulled along. "Stop it! Let go of me! Stop this!"

…

Mammon's shouts continued as I made my up to Levi's room. He continued pulling on his invisible leash, even going so far as to dig his feet into the carpet. This ended up being to his detriment when I finally came to a stop outside Levi's door. The tension of the invisible leash vanished and he ended up falling over.

"Ow..." He rubbed his butt as he got back up. "What the hell? Give a demon some warning next time. That hurt ya know!"

"Whatever," I turned to Levi's room. "You said Levi's bound to have the vinyl soundtrack. I'll ask him to let me borrow it, then we'll be good."

Mammon snorted.

"Yeah, that ain't gonna work. There's no way Levi's just gonna agree to lend you the soundtrack. Hell, he ain't even gonna let you in his room!"

"I lose nothing by asking." I gave the door a light knock. "Levi? It's Belle. Can I come in?"

"Go away." Levi called through the door. "I'm in the middle of watching the best scene of _The Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl._"

Mammon banged on the door, much harder than I had.

"Levi, she's not gonna leave until she talks to you, and I can't leave until she does, so will you get off your ass and come to the door?"

"No."

Mammon turned to me, gesturing to the door with a 'Told-you-so' expression on his face.

"See? See?! He won't even open the damn door for us!"

"Mammon, shut up," I ordered, more than a little happy when Mammon's jaw snapped closed. "Levi, can I please come in? I just wanted to see if I could borrow the TSL vinyl soundtrack."

"No. You can't come in, and you can't borrow my TSL vinyl."

Mammon began making rather dramatic gestures at the door and at me. I'm certain that if I hadn't told him to shut up, he would be cursing me out and calling me all sorts of names. I just let him go about his shenanigans, trying to figure out how to convince Levi to let me in. Around that time, a familiar figure rounded the corner.

"Well," Solomon called out, stopping Mammon in his tracks, "this is certainly a surprise. Nice to see you again, Belle."

"Oh, hey Solomon," I greeted with a wave.

"I see the rumors about you and Mammon were not exaggerated."

Mammon cocked an eyebrow, going to try and talk, but his jaw remained fused. Solomon chuckled at the sight as Mammon resorted to literally trying to pry his jaw apart.

"I'm assuming this is your doing?"

I gave a nod.

"You can talk Mammon."

In an instant, Mammon's jaw unfused and he gasped loudly.

"Finally! Never do that to me again, ya hear?!" Mammon then turned his attention to Solomon. "And as for you, what did you mean by rumors? What have people been saying about me?!"

"Only that a certain human, our friend Belle here, despite appearing to be incredibly ordinary at first glance, somehow managed to make a pact with a demon." Solomon chuckled again. "Apparently, this demon was such an idiot that he let a human discover and exploit his greatest weakness, and was tricked into forging a pact."

Mammon turned beet red, clenching his fists in rage and embarrassment. I quickly got between him and Solomon.

"So, why are you here?" I asked.

"Oh, Levi invited me."

There was a beat of silence. I blinked in surprise as Mammon stuck his pinkie in his ear.

"Sorry," the demon spoke up. "I think I had something in my ear. Did you just say that Levi _invited_ you to his _room_?"

"I'm afraid it's the truth." He took the opportunity to slip past us, knocking on the door. "Levi? It's me."

"What's the secret phrase?" Levi prompted.

Solomon straightened up, beginning a back and forth exchange between himself and Levi.

"The second lord..."

"...attempted to steal the Lord of Corruption's platypus, which could lay golden eggs..."

"...having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed..."

"...it was ordered that the second lord would be forever dubbed The Lord of Fools." Levi made a ding sound. "Secret phrase authenticated. You may enter."

Solomon smirked, opening the door and turning to me and Mammon.

"Well, guess I'll see you two later."

The door closed, leaving me and Mammon just staring at the closed door.

"Okay, what just happened?" Mammon questioned.

"Seems Levi will only let people who know his secret phrase into his room," I rationalized.

"Yeah but, didn't they just give it away? Maybe if you say exactly what Solomon said, Levi will let you in."

I shrugged. "Worth a shot."

I knocked on the door, getting an almost immediate response.

"What's the secret phrase?" Levi prompted.

"The second lord..."

Levi made a sound reminiscent of a buzzer on a gameshow.

"Secret phrase authentication failure. Access denied."

"Wha-? Wait!" Mammon approached the door, banging hard on the wood. "That was totally right! That was exactly what Solomon said!"

"The secret phrase is periodically reset for security reasons," Levi informed him.

"A one-time password," I realized. "No wonder Solomon had no qualms about saying it in front of us. He knew we couldn't use it."

"Yep," Levi confirmed. "Maybe you should try again after you've at least watched TSL on DVD."

I went to retort, but then I thought about the idea. After mulling it over for a minute, the idea actually had merit. I cracked a smile as Mammon flipped off the door.

"See? I told you there's no talking to-" He paused, noticing my expression. "Why are you smiling?"

"Do you know how to get your hands on the TSL DVD box set?"

"Yeah, you can order it on Akuzon for like 50 Grimm, why?"

"Order it for me and meet me in my room after class. We're gonna have a nice movie marathon tonight. Luckily it's the weekend, so we shouldn't get into any trouble with Lucifer."

Mammon glared at me, my order sinking in. With a sarcastic bow, he acquiesced to my request.

"Anything else, 'milady'?"

"Yeah, where's Beel? I want to talk to him about movie snacks."

…

The colorful flashes of "The Tale of the Seven Lords" illuminated my room. My light lavender bed sheet was thrown over the TV stand and held by clothespin and string, making a small pillow fort where Mammon, Beel and I were sitting. We were surrounded by chips, popcorn, and soda bottles, most of which were gathered around the sixth brother. I was on my stomach, cradling my pillow with the remote in hand. Beel was propped against my bed, the biggest tub of popcorn I had ever seen in his lap. Mammon was in the corner of the fort, crossing his arms and looking annoyed. All three of us were in our PJs for maximum comfort, though Mammon looked far from happy.

"So, explain somethin' to me," the greedy demon requested. "Why do I have to be here? I mean, this is 12 hours in total! Some of us actually have lives!"

Without missing a beat, both Beel and I turned to Mammon, raising our eyebrows in perfect synchronization.

"What?! I have friends!" Our expressions didn't change. "Really!"

"Whatever, are we about to start?" Beel asked. "I'm hungry."

"And that's another thing! Why the fuck are you here, Beel?!"

"When I asked him about good movie snacks to get, he asked if he could join," I explained. "I figured the more the merrier."

Mammon blinked, then face palmed.

"So, you're tellin' me you're just here for the food, beggin' the human for treats like some kind of dog?!"

"All I know is that once we start watching, I get to start eating. So hurry it up!"

Mammon gave no response, merely sighing in defeat and flopping onto the ground.

"Just start the damn DVD... and you better not eat my pizza, Beel!"

I turned on the DVD just as Beel turned to Mammon, a piece of the aforementioned pizza in his mouth.

…

The DVD Marathon was surprisingly enjoyable. All of the characters were well developed over the course of the series, not a single Lord going without some sort of special arc to iron out his kinks. Much to my shock, Mammon enjoyed the series the most out of all of us, going so far as to break down sobbing during the more emotional parts. One scene in particular during volume two had him clutching his pillow to his chest, bawling his eyes out.

"It's not fair!" he cried out.

"Mammon, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not! The Lord of Fools finally reunites with his one true love, only to find out she's frozen to death?! Can't he like- I dunno, use magic to bring her back? It's not fair!"

Beel turned, stuffing his face with hellfire sauce potato chips.

"You sound like Levi."

I chuckled at the imagery as we continued on. By the time we finally finished the series, Beel had polished off the snacks and was asleep on his part of the fort. I ended up dozing off during the final credits of the final volume, using Beel's surprisingly warm and comfortable chest as a pillow. Mammon eventually managed to pry his eyes away from the screen, flopping onto the floor and snoring like a log.

…

When morning came, Mammon and I gathered in the living room, chatting amongst ourselves. Since it was Saturday and we didn't have school, neither of us were in our uniforms. I was clad in an old Batman t-shirt with a hoodie and a pair of jeans, my go to outfit for comfortable. Mammon was wearing a brown and white aviator with the collar turned up over a simple black shirt. He had blue skinny jeans held up by a yellow belt and wore black mid-calf boots, with white soles. Perched on his nose was his key accessory, a pair of square, orange shades that were exactly like the ones on his profile picture.

"Alright, so let's go over what we learned during that marathon," Mammon insisted. "I do _not_ want to have wasted 12 hours of my life for nothing."

"Go for it," I challenged. "Hit me with your best shot."

"Volume 2, when the Lord of Shadow and Henry teamed up set a trap for the Lord of Fools. He was forced to flee to..?"

"To the North, when he found the frozen remains of Geldie, his one true love."

"Correct, but that's an easy one. Let's try volume 5. Hostile forces from another land invade the Lord of Flies' country, surrounding and isolating him so his people starve. So, the Lord of Fools try to help by…?"

"Sending food for his people!"

"Yep," Mammon nodded. "But..."

"But… there was a big rainy spell and all the food spoiled!"

"Correct again." Mammon sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Just thinking about it makes me want to cry."

"Don't break down on me now, Mammon. Keep 'em coming."

"Alright, alright, Volume 7. The Lord of Corruption imprisons the Lord of Emptiness in the Tower of Shadow, refusing to forgive his brother for leading a rebellion against him. The other lords lament the fate of their younger brother, but don't do anything because…?"

"Because they're afraid of the Lord of Corruption and don't want to end up like the Lord of Emptiness, or make his situation worse than it already is."

"Great job. Looks like you can do this when ya really put your mind to it."

It was the closest I had come to a compliment from Mammon, so I decided to take it. I smiled happily.

"Think I'll be able to convince Levi to talk to me now?"

"There's no doubt that you know your stuff. He'll be convinced for sure."

That's when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see an irate Leviathan standing right behind me. He was wearing a long, black shawl jacket that reached his knees with 3 buttons of different emoji's stuck on its right side. Underneath, he wore a blue and white turtle-neck long sleeve shirt with a zipper on the collar. He had jogging pants with 2 orange lines on each side and a pair of orange and black sneaker. A large pair of yellow headphones completed the ensemble, the set currently hanging around his neck with the cord trailing into his pocket.

"Hello human," he greeted coldly, his hands shoved into his pockets as he glared at me.

"Well, speak of the devil," Mammon piped up.

Levi ignored him, his eyes never leaving me.

"I heard what you're up to, human. Seems you're trying to suck up to me so I'll like you."

"I'm not sucking up to anyone," I argued. "I'm just trying to learn more about your interests so you'll give me the time of day."

"Yeah, where'd you even hear that anyway?" Mammon questioned.

"Don't play dumb you two, Lucifer told me everything."

I went pale, my heart skipping a beat or two. Mammon just looked annoyed, rolling his eyes and flopping onto the couch with a long groan.

"Fucking Lucifer! How the hell does he end up hearing _every_ single thing that gets said around here?"

"That's not important," Levi declared, waving a hand dismissively. You know, I've heard it said that the time a fool spends thinking is _wasted_ time. I think that applies here. You're lucky to have so much time on your hands that you can sit around thinking up schemes like this."

My fear was replaced with confusion as I watched Levi devolve into a childish rant.

"There's so much anime I need to watch, so many figurines and trading cards I need to organize, so man games I need to play just sitting there, piling up. As much as I wish I could watch a marathon of every TSL DVD, I don't have the time. So, why do _you_ get to have so much free time? _It's so not fair!_"

"Ah!" Mammon stuck an arm straight up, pointing at the ceiling while he remained flopped on the couch. "I was waiting for you to say that. Your signature line: 'It's so not fair'."

"Now I'm starting to see why you're the Avatar of Envy," I spoke up.

"Whatever," Levi snorted. "I don't know what it is you're plotting, but I'm not about to get all buddy-buddy with some human _normie_, understand? I'm not like Mammon. Get that through your head."

"Hey, it's not like Belle and I are buddy-buddy either!" Mammon argued, actually sitting up this time. "My body obeys her orders on its own, whether I like it or not. It's not my fault!"

Once again, Levi ignored Mammon. He poked me in the chest, glaring daggers at me.

"Don't go getting any ideas in your head, human."

"Too late, I already got one." I crossed my arms and grinned. "You and me, let's have a TSL contest."

Levi blinked, clearly caught off guard by my suggestion.

"...what? Where did that come from?"

"I thought of it just now. You and I will compete to see who the bigger TSL fan is. If you win, I back down and stop bothering you. However, if I win, you have to make a pact with me."

Mammon's jaw hit the ground as Levi met my eyes. Much to my surprise, he just started laughing.

"Do you _seriously_ think you can beat me in such a contest?! That's hilarious! Lol!" He actually said Lol out loud before calming down and wiping an eye. "Besides, why would I accept a challenge like that? Victory is assured, so there's no point."

"What's the matter, Levi?" I taunted. "Afraid of losing?"

"Excuse me?! Did everything I say go in one ear and out the other? When did I say I was afraid of losing to you?"

"I knew it. You _are_ afraid, then."

"Are you even listening to me?!"

"Levi's a chicken!" I proclaimed in a singsong voice. "Levi's a-!"

"Alright!" I stopped my taunts and turned to Levi, who was standing there with his fists clenched in his pockets, visibly bunching the fabric inside. "If that's what you want, then I accept your challenge. We'll compete to see which one of us loves TSL more. Just be warned. If you lose, you might not make it back to the human world _alive._"

"Just make sure you brush up on the pact oath," I retorted. "You'll need it after I kick your ass."

Levi smirked, then held out his hand. I took it and we shook, the deal complete.

…

Word of my nerd duel with Levi spread across the House of Lamentation with surprising speed. When I went to the dining room to get myself some lunch, I found Satan leaning against the door. He was wearing a black shirt under a soft, light green V-neck sweater. He had teal colored pants with white side buttons, and a pair of brown shoes. Completing the ensemble was a blue blazer that he was only wearing on his right sleeve, the rest of the jacket just draped over his shoulder.

Standing with him was Beel, who had a donut in his mouth and a full box in one arm. He was dressed in an indigo parka with complementing white and orange design on respective sleeves over a black shirt with white and orange triangle designs. He wore dark purple pocket pants with belt covered with green and violet triangle designs, as well as one with neon purple lines dangling from it. His shoes were grey and black with neon green and orange designs.

"Hello, Belle," Satan said with a playful wave. "I heard what's happening. It seems you and Levi are going to have a little competition."

Beel gulped down his donut with one bite, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"Are you trying to get into the attic room? Find out what's up there?"

I blinked in surprise.

"Yeah… how did you know?"

Beel just shrugged, looking me over as if sizing me up. I was a little worried he was imagining ways to cook me, but his next words put me at ease.

"I'll let you in on a nice piece of information. Levi is the demon of envy. If you can work him into a jealous frenzy, he'll lose control of himself. Then, he'll be guaranteed to slip up somehow, giving you an opening you can exploit." I smiled at the surprisingly helpful tip, until Beel's face grew serious. "Just one thing though. If Levi does lose control of himself, your life will also be in danger."

"Thanks," I told him, pursing my lips. "Though, I have to ask. Why are you telling me this?"

"No reason," Beel shrugged. "Just felt like it, that's all."

Satan glanced over at Beel with an expression that was difficult to read. After a moment, he turned back to me.

"I'll give you a piece of advice too. The DVD version of TSL is up to season 7 now. That's the most recent release. Meanwhile, the original book version is up to volume 8 at this point. Volume 9 of the book isn't out yet, but if you want to know what's going to happen in it, you should ask Simeon."

"Simeon? I didn't know he was a TSL fan, but why would he know about a book that hasn't come out yet? More than that, why are you being so forthcoming with these hints?"

"Don't ask me, ask him." He adjusted his blazer, looking away as he did. "Also, it just so happens that it's in my best interest for you to beat Levi."

Realizing that was all the information I was going to get, I decided not to look this gift horse in the mouth. Forgoing lunch, I went to find Mammon so he could take me to Simeon.

…

"So, lemme see if I got this straight," Mammon insisted as he and I walked down the street towards Simeon's dorm. "You're telling me that Beel and Satan _both_ gave you hints on how to defeat Levi?"

"Yeah, I don't quite get it either," I shrugged. "I mean, Satan said it was because he benefited from Levi losing, but Beel seems to know more than he's letting on. Either way, they suggested working Levi into a jealous rage and talking to Simeon about the unreleased TSL book volume."

"Well, I can confirm the jealousy thing. Make him jealous of you and he's bound to lose his cool. Can't guarantee he won't kill ya if that happens."

"Well, that's a risk I'm gonna have to take. Let's face it, I can't beat Levi if I fight fair. The big question is how I'm gonna make him jealous of me."

"It's not as easy as I'm making it out to be," Mammon warmed, crossing his arms. "He may be called the Avatar of Envy, but it's hard to make him give into it. Instead of gettin' super jealous of you, he'll get all negative about his own situation."

"Like he did this morning about our marathon?"

Mammon tapped his nose, nodding.

"Bingo. You're not gonna be able to get him to lose his cool just by doing a little bragging. No, you're gonna have to do somethin' to make him _real_ jealous. So jealous that he nearly pops a blood vessel."

"So I guess Simeon's our best bet. If he does have the knowledge Satan insisted he did, then that information could be the ticket to getting Levi's goat."

"Exactly." Mammon smirked slightly, his eyes sparking behind his glasses. "And if I'm being honest, I'm dyin' to find out what's gonna happen myself."

I shared his smirk as we headed off to get information from Simeon.


	6. The TSL Contest

The competition between myself and Leviathan was set to take place the same night I went to see Simeon. Much to my surprise, it didn't happen in the living room of the House of Lamentation like I had expected. Instead, this had been turned into an entire event. The courtroom I had appeared in on my first day in the Devildom was chosen as the venue, with demons packed in the gallery to watch and the demon brothers all sitting in their respective seats at the student council podiums. All of us were dressed in our school uniforms, only adding to the feel of this being a formal event.

Once everyone was gathered up and in their places, Asmo stood up from his seat, beaming like a proper talk show host as he began to speak.

"All right everyone! Finally, the wait is over! It's time for Devil's Trivia Showdown, the quiz show that pits demon against human! Today, our competitors will be testing their knowledge regarding a super famous, super popular fantasy series. One that's known by young and old alike… _The Tale of the Seven Lords!_"

There was applause from the few demons that had gathered to watch the spectacle, including several lesser demons that reminded me of small ink creatures in top hats.

"Now, it's time to introduce our two competitors. First, he's a demon who freely admits to being a giant TSL Nerd! Meet Leviathan!"

The demons applauded as Levi came out, smiling like a celebrity.

"I am the G.O.A.T!" He proclaimed. "None can oppose me!"

"And his challenger," Asmo continued. "Claims to have been introduced to TSL very recently after binge watching the DVDs! Say hello to Isabella Collins!"

I walked towards Levi to some applause and more than a few snickers. I didn't let it bother me as I approached my opponent, smirking triumphantly.

"You're going down, Levi."

Levi snorted in disbelief and disgust.

"You binge-watched the DVDs _once_, that's it. The fact that you would _dare_ challenge me is an insult to TSL itself. It's _sacrilege_! It's so infuriating that I can't even feel the anger I can only laugh!"

He then proceeded to laugh in my face as Asmo continued his introductions.

"Serving as judge for today's competition is our very own Demon Lord himself, Diavolo!"

Now the applause was ridiculous, every demon rising to their feet to clap as Diavolo waved at them.

"Hello there," he greeted. "Good to see you."

"Color commentary will be provided by Satan, the Avatar of Wrath," Asmo went on, sighing somewhat in poorly disguised disappointment. "But a good commentator needs to keep a cool head. I wonder, is he really up to the task?"

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Satan assured his brother, smirking somewhat maliciously.

"Now, say hello to our guest demon, the always famished Beelzebub!" Asmo continued, sighing even more. "For his appearance fee, he requested to be compensated in cheeseburgers. How very Beel of him..."

Beel didn't seem phased by this comment, munching on a large pile of fresh burgers piled on a silver platter before him. He just smiled, making happy noises before swallowing.

"Nothing beats one of Hell's Kitchen's special cheeseburgers. They age the cheese 4000 years for maximum flavor."

Asmo just rolled his eyes, then his smile returned.

"And your host for the day is none other than yours truly, Asmodeus. The demon who can make you swoon simply by whispering into your ear. You all know me, and you all love me."

"Alright, enough!" Mammon called out from his podium. "This is gettin' ridiculous. Let's get this show on the road!"

Lucifer glanced over at Mammon from his own seat crossing his arms in mild surprise.

"I thought you hated wasting your time at events like this, Mammon. Yet here you are. Truly, wonders never cease."

Mammon blushed a deep red and turned away in embarrassment.

"Shut up, Lucifer. I've got some free time, that's all."

"Well then, we'll start with you, Belle," Asmo decided. "Get ready for TSL Quiz question number one!"

"Bring it on!" I declared, pumping my fist.

"Very well then. The Seven Lords are all brothers, and each has a specific name that people know them by. In birth order, name the oldest, second oldest, and third oldest Lords."

I laughed, the answer being beyond easy to remember.

"The Lord of Corruption, the Lord of Fools, and the Lord of Shadows."

"Well how about that! You're absolutely correct!" The entire area broke into applause as Asmo beamed at me happily. "Way to start the game off on the right foot, Belle."

"Oh come on!" Levi called out. "Anybody could've gotten that one right."

The only real comment Levi received was Beel praising the fact that his burgers came with onion rings. Asmo in turn elected to ignore the outburst, continuing with the contest.

"Alright Leviathan, it's your turn now. Here comes your question number one! In what year did the Lord of Shadow build the Blue Palace for his imaginary mistress?"

"Year 693 of the ancient era," Levi answered without missing a beat.

"Correct!" Asmo cheered. "What an impressive showing from the self-described TSL nerd!"

"In me, you bear witness to a legend!" Levi declared.

"Even so, is it just me, or was that question a little _too_ specific?" Satan spoke up, looking somewhat concerned. "Only a mega nerd would know that."

Diavolo giggled like a little kid, a massive grin on his face.

"This is shaping up to be quite entertaining, isn't it Lucifer?"

"I'm glad you find it to your liking, Diavolo."

"Alright, back to you Belle!" Asmo announced, drawing my attention back to the game. "Get ready for TSL Quiz question number two! This sixth lord is the Lord of Flies. What does he love to eat more than anything else?"

I glanced over at Beel and his massive pile of cheeseburgers, laughing softly before clearing my throat and answering.

"A cursed goat tartare sandwich with cheese."

"Correct!" Asmo threw his hands up in celebration. "Very impressive! That was a tough one! You really know your stuff, don't you?" He then turned back to Levi, lowering his hands while carefully brushing his hair to the side. "Now, back to Mr. Reliable himself, Leviathan! Here comes your question number two! In_ The Tale of the Seven Lords_ volume 3, page 724, what does the Lord of Fools say in the fifth line from the top?"

I whistled at the hyper specific question, but Levi didn't even flinch. In fact, he grinned before quoting the line in the same voice from the series.

"Money is my dearest friend and closest companion. It's everything to me. The blood bonds I share with my brothers are like the weak, wispy threads of a spider by comparison."

"Amazing! That is correct! An exact match, word for word!"

Satan let out a snort, shaking his head.

"The more I learn about the Lord of Fools, the clearer it is that he's a total scumbag."

Mammon turned to Satan, looking annoyed and embarrassed.

"Why does it feel like you're insulting _me_ right now?"

"Alright, moving on..." Asmo declared before an argument could spawn between Satan and Mammon. "It's your turn now, Belle. Say hello to question number three! This is regarding the fifth brother, the Lord of Lechery. Who does he love more than anyone else?"

I snorted, shaking myself.

"Himself of course, duh."

"Well, well! Excellent! You are absolutely right! The fourth Lord loves himself above all else. Sounds like my kind of guy."

"Come on, hurry up!" Levi whined, stomping his foot and throwing his fists against his sides. "It's my turn now!"

Asmo turned to Levi with a serious expression, clearly determined to trip him up.

"Leviathan, you've gotten every single question correct thus far, but prepare yourself. Question number three is coming at you! In volume 4 of the DVD series, at exactly 159 minutes and 35 seconds in, what is the Lord of Masks holding in his left hand?"

I reeled back, wondering how Levi could possibly know the answer to this question. However, he answered once more without skipping a beat.

"He's holding a flower from a carnivorous grodoodle plant, grown by the Lord of Corruption."

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone waited for Asmo to declare the answer.

"Incredible," he commented, looking shocked and a bit worried. "That only flashed on screen for the briefest of moments, and yet you still caught it. Amazing! You're knowledge truly is extensive! In fact, I'd even say it's creepy..."

Levi didn't seem to notice Asmo's comment. Instead, his eyes narrowed as he reviewed the questions we had received.

"Hey, is it just me, or have all of my questions been way harder than Belle's?" he asked. "Like, suspiciously harder. I mean, they're still so easy for me that I'm ready to fall asleep here."

"If that's true, then why complain?" I retorted, attempting to get him off his train of thought, an attempt that thankfully worked.

"Anyway… How long are we going to keep up this charade? This is getting boring."

"Agreed," Mammon announced. "Time to bring out the big guns! Let's see how Levi here likes your trump card!" He then turned to Levi, grinning widely. "Levi, you're way too full of yourself. Which is why we're about to reach inside of ya, yank out that pride, and crush it like a bug!"

Levi looked between me and Mammon, confused beyond belief.

"What…?"

"Well, well," Diavolo mused, leaning on his podium. "Isn't this interesting?"

"Wow!" Asmo declared, holding his hands up in shock. "It sounds to me like the gauntlet has just been thrown down! It would seem Belle has some sort of trump card to use against Leviathan! Perhaps now would be a good time to check in with our color commentator. Satan, what do you think this could be about?"

"Well, it's not at all surprising that Belle would come into this with a secret weapon," Satan mused. "It seems that the advice I gave her is about to pay some dividends. Excellent."

This threw Asmo for a loop.

"Just a minute… Satan, are you telling us you provided _aid_ to Belle? How _very_ wicked of you!" He turned to Beel at that, clearly still reeling. "I suppose this would be a good time to get your take on this as well, Beel."

"If you want to hear what I have to say, it's going to cost you," Beel warned. "Let's say one extra-large bowl of katsudon and some miso soup to go along with that."

Asmo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, _whose idea was it to invite Beel to this, huh?!_ He's done nothing but _eat_ this entire time!" He then took a deep breath, steadying his nerves and adjusting his hair again. "... In any event, if Belle really does have a secret weapon, it could mean something that will make winning against Leviathan possible!" He slid across the floor, facing Levi. "Perhaps we should hear what Belle's opponent thinks about this. Tell me Levi, what's running through your head right now?"

I faced Levi, curious to see if this reveal had caused him to feel worried or potentially jealous. Instead, Levi just started cackling, a hand to his mouth as he almost doubled over with laughter.

"Well, clearly you don't see this as a threat," Asmo surprised. "Got it! So, what could this trump card of Belle's be? Let's find out!"

I straightened up, adjusted my ribbon tie, and then began a nice summary of the major plot developments of the as-of-yet unreleased TSL Volume 9. I was particularly happy to reveal a massive spoiler to Levi about the Lord of Masks betraying the Lord of Shadows, which Levi did _not_ take well. His face went pale and he stumbled back.

"No! You're lying! The Lord of Masks would never-!" He sputtered for a bit, trying to regain his composure. "It's nothing but lies! Pure hogwash! Don't think you can fool me by making up random stuff like that!"

I felt Lord Diavolo staring at me and I turned towards him, his golden eyes shining for a brief moment. When I blinked, his eyes were normal once more and he leaned back in his chair.

"Actually, Belle doesn't appear to be lying," he informed the irate Avatar.

I blinked in confusion, turning to the other brothers for clarification. Satan quickly supplied me with the answer.

"Lord Diavolo has the ability to discern whether someone is telling the truth."

"B-but… No…!" Levi cried out in anguish. "Everyone online has been talking about how the Lord of Masks and the Lord of Shadow are totally gonna make up… what you said _can't_ happen! It's just _can't!_"

"Huh..." Mammon let out in mild surprise. "Guess all that stuff Simeon told us was true then. How about that? Still, how did he know all that?"

Asmo cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"Okay everyone! I suppose this settles who the true TSL nerd is-!"

"No! I won't stand for this!" Levi shrieked as he began stalking towards me, murder in his eyes. "All you did was stay up one night marathoning the DVDs. The idea that someone like _you_ could actually be a bigger TSL fan than me, it's..."

With every step Levi took, his form began radiating orange energy. I gulped, feeling a cold lump of fear settling in my stomach. Mammon went wide-eyed, rising to his feet.

"Wh-whoa, calm down there, Levi!" He tried to tell his pissed off brother.

"No…_ NO!_ _I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!_"

As he screamed this, Levi's body erupted with a demonic aura that made everything go cold. His body changed and his clothing morphed as his demonic side began to show. Dark, branched, coral-like horns curled upwards from the sides of his head, diamond markings similar to snake scales sprouted on the right side of his neck, and a long, black, serpentine tail sprouted behind him. His clothing now consisted of a black halved side-zipped hoodie with a purple underside that was decorated with white scale-like designs. Underneath, he sported a black tight-fitting shirt, white and gold accented clip-on suspenders attached to snake-skin pants. He wore black dress shoes and black gloves, completing the outfit.

"Belle!" Mammon cried out, his voice full of terror. "Run! Get out of here!"

Mammon's cries finally managed to return my ability to move. I turned on my heels and sprinted for the door. Unfortunately for me, Levi was right behind me. Mammon vaulted up from his seat, jumping over his podium to try and intercept Levi.

"Belle!" He cried out again. "Dammit, I'm not gonna make it in time!"

I felt a hand grab me roughly by my wrist, wrenching me off balance as I fell. The grip on my wrist was like iron, crushing the limb in its grasp. I screamed and screwed my eyes shut, waiting for Levi to attack me.

"Enough!" Lucifer bellowed, right next to me.

I gasped, turning to see that it wasn't Levi holding my wrist, but Lucifer. Even more surprising was Lucifer was in his own demon form. He possessed two curled ram horns on his head, a black diamond situated right in the center of his forehead. Four pitch black angel wings spread out behind his back, framing his intimidating form. He wore a high-collared, twin-tailed coat with red and gold peacock feathers embroidered on the tails. He had a black waistcoat, a pendant decorated with black and red peacock feathers tucked into the collar, and wore simple black pants and leather shoes with two stray silver chains hanging from an ornament on his belt. On his hands were a pair of red gloves.

Lucifer's demon form had everyone staring in fear, awe, or a mixture of both. Mammon was frozen, stopping his interception attempt to just examine the scene. Beel ended up choking on his cheeseburger from surprise. Levi looked utterly terrified, his tail curled around himself protectively as he stepped back. I just remained where I was as Lucifer released my wrist, certain I wasn't going to be making a break for it again. Two of his wings came down between me and Levi as the eldest brother crossed his arms and stared down the third oldest.

"I believe you were going to settle this via a _quiz_, weren't you? Not through violence. You're out of control, Levi."

Levi just gulped in terror as I carefully clutched my throbbing wrist. Asmo held up his hands in shock and surprise, resuming his duties as host.

"U-unbelievable! Just as Leviathan was about to strike, who should step in and stop him but the one and only Lucifer himself! Simply incredible!"

"I haven't seen you leap to someone's rescue like that in quite some time, Lucifer," Satan remarked, looking both surprised and intrigued.

Lucifer ignored the remarks, keeping his eyes firmly on Levi.

"Go to your room and cool off, Levi."

Levi was frozen stiff, just trembling before Lucifer like a condemned prisoner.

"Levi?" Diavolo called out in a stern voice I hadn't heard before. "You heard what he said, right?"

That seemed to return movement to Levi's body. He gave a small nod, slinking out of the room swiftly and silently. Everyone watched him go, nobody saying a word. Mammon briefly opened his mouth, but closed it almost immediately after. Lucifer noticed this and turned to him.

"Mammon? Something you want to say?"

"No..." Mammon answered, his voice low and quiet. "I don't wanna say nothin'."

"So, what are we going to do now?" Asmo questioned. "How are we supposed to have our competition without Levi?"

"Well, I suppose this means the competition ends in a draw," Diavolo decided. "Neither one of them won."

Everyone nodded along to the sentiment, including myself. Considering how close I came to death today, I'd take my unscathed survival as my prize. However, one member of the audience was still examining Lucifer, rubbing his chin in contemplation.

"Still," Satan spoke up, "I have to say I find it surprising that you would go out of your way just to rescue a mere human, Lucifer. Very surprising… don't you agree, Mammon?"

"Huh?" Mammon let out, looking confused. "Why're ya askin' _me_?"

"As the oldest, it's my duty to clean up my younger siblings' messes," Lucifer supplied before turning to me. "Now, are you unharmed?"

"Levi didn't hurt me," I admitted before wincing at my now bruised wrist. "But I think you broke my wrist when you grabbed me."

…

As it turned out, my wrist was only sprained. Lucifer had me tended to almost immediately and I was soon sporting a simple splint to help it heal. Once the doctor left, I sat in my room, just grateful to be alive. Beel and Mammon joined me, no doubt checking to make sure I was okay. The former had even brought a box of pizza for us to share for dinner, a surprising gesture from the Avatar of Gluttony

"I can't believe you made it out of there without being attacked, only to sprain your wrist being rescued," Mammon snorted. "Seriously, how does that happen?"

"You humans really are way less physically capable than us demons," Beel agreed, stuffing his third slice into his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I turned my wrist over and over in my hand, feeling the pressure of the splint. "Honestly, considering the hand-shaped bruise Lucifer left, I'm surprised it _didn't_ break. Guess I got lucky."

"You need to eat more," Beel insisted, talking with his mouth full. "You're not eating enough and, unlike us, you're not eating the right things."

"I don't think my diet has anything to do with this. I eat just fine."

Yeah!" Mammon agreed, smacking Beel on the arm. "Stop tying everything back to food! And for that matter, why are you even here? Ever since the DVD Marathon, you've been spending an awful lot of time here."

"Well, so have you," Beel retorted.

"He has a point," I admitted. "I mean, I've found one of your D.D.D. chargers plugged into my wall, and your toothbrush at my sink."

Mammon choked on his pizza, coughing and struggling to breathe from the shock. I gave him a pat on the back, helping him regain his breath.

"W-well that's because, uh… you know… I've gotta look after Belle, don't I? It's my job..."

I chuckled in amusement, coming to a surprising realization: Mammon was a tsundere. I hadn't had to order him around since we watched the marathon, and he had indeed been hanging around here a lot. More than that, he hadn't hesitated to try and save me from Levi. Part of me wondered if he was beginning to develop feelings for me, but I wasn't about to push my luck by asking.

"Hey!" Mammon shouted, snapping my attention back to the present. "Is that my slice you have in your other hand, Beel?!"

I glanced over at Beel, who did indeed have two slices of pizza in his hands. From Mammon's empty plate, he'd clearly snatched it from the second eldest. I checked my own plate, seeing my slice was still there, to which I was silently grateful. I munched on my slice as Beel polished off both his and Mammon's.

"I'm gonna go get some soda from the kitchen," the gluttonous demon decided, rising to his feet. "Want one, Belle?"

"Cream soda, please."

"Hey!" Mammon scrambled to his feet. "Hey! Beel! Stop eating all my food!"

Beel just walked out of my room with Mammon following him to the door. Once it was clear Beel was ignoring him, he returned to his seat, groaning in annoyance.

"Of all the… Seriously, does that guy ever stop eating?! You better keep a close eye on your pizza, or he'll steal yours away next."

"I'll keep that in mind."

I continued eating as Mammon sat there, fiddling with the bracelet on his wrist.

"Ah… um, by the way..." I looked up as Mammon struggled to speak. "There's somethin' I want you to know…"

"What is it?"

Mammon closed his eyes, clenching his fists with determination.

"The next time your life's in danger, I'm gonna be the one to save you, alright? Don't you forget that. I won't have no one else steppin' in and savin' ya, alright? It's me or no one, understand?!"

I smiled, laughing lightly as I gave Mammon a nod.

"Alright, got it."

Mammon turned away, blushing a deep red color.

"G-good… Glad we're on the same page."

I went to resume eating, but that's when my D.D.D. began ringing. I looked at it in surprise, then scooped it up. When I saw the caller I.D, I felt my throat seize up.

"It's Levi..."

Mammon sat up, watching me carefully as I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"_...Human… We need to talk._"

"You're not going to try and kill me again, are you?"

"_No. Just… come to the planetarium, okay? And hurry up. I want to get this over with._"

He ended the call before I could ask for details. I looked at the D.D.D. then glanced over at Mammon. I stood up, sliding my D.D.D. into my pocket.

"Hey, where's the Planetarium?"

…

It didn't take me long to reach the Planetarium, a large dome structure situated out in the garden. Trellised windows surrounded a well-lit hanging display of the planets, a glowing circular map engraved into the ceiling. Several chairs and sofas lined the walls with a few tasteful plants, and it was here that I found Levi. He was normal looking once more, dressed in his casual clothes. However, his expression was anything but friendly.

"Finally," he declared, rising to his feet as I entered the planetarium. "I've been waiting for you to show up. When I call for you, you need to come right away, understand? Don't walk, run. I want you moving at light speed. Like the way Henry races over whenever his best friend the Lord of Shadow calls on him."

"In my defense, we're not on Lord of Shadow and Henry levels yet. They had time to develop their bond over a series of adventures that tested the character of both men and strengthened their friendship. That, and I don't have a winged unicorn."

"You make a point. We're not best friends."

"But we could be." I stepped forward. "Look Levi, I don't want to be enemies with you or anyone here. I want to be friends… I want to be your friend."

Levi looked shocked, his face turning red.

"What?! Did you say _friends_? You and Me…?! A-A-Are you… are you out of your mind?!" He seemed more flustered than angry, which shifted to shame and embarrassment after that. "I tried to attack you, you know that right? If Lucifer hadn't intervened, you'd be dead right now."

"I know, but I'm okay." I held up my wrist. "Nothing more than a sprained wrist, and that's on Lucifer. Besides, I did kind of egg you on, so it's only reasonable that you lashed out. I'm not going to hold a grudge, and I hope you don't either."

Levi mulled over my words for a moment, then let out a sigh.

"...alright, look. Here's the thing. You remember why we decided to have the competition in the first place, right?"

"Yeah, I challenged you to see who the biggest TSL fan was."

"Uh-huh. If I won, you were to leave me alone, but if you won, I had to make a pact with you. Your trump card was a real dirty trick, but a promise is a promise."

I blinked in confusion.

"Hang on, the contest ended in a draw. Neither of us won."

"Only because of my outburst. You were set to win before I lashed out." Levi took a breath, swallowing hard. "It really kills me to do this… really makes my stomach churn. But, I'll keep my end of the bargain. I'll make a pact with you."

I smiled, holding out my hand.

"Thank you."

Levi just took my hand, beginning the oath.

"I am Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy. I pledge myself to you, Isabella Collins, that we may be bound by an unbreakable pact. This I swear to you on both my name and the very blood that runs through my veins."

Like with Mammon, our clasped hands began to glow, light swirling around our wrists before coalescing into solid jewelry. For Levi, this consisted of an orange metal band on his wrist. For me, I gained an orange charm on my bracelet. It was shaped like a curled demon tail, a small star nestled in the crook of the tail. Levi hooked a finger through his bracelet, examining it before letting it go and sliding his hands into his pockets.

"So, what's all this about anyway?"

I dropped the charm, looking up at Levi. His gaze hardened slightly.

"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there? A normie human like you, asking to make a pact with a demon like me? You must have some sort of ulterior motive. Go on, spill the beans."

"Okay, you remember when I asked to borrow your vinyl TSL soundtrack? I still need to borrow it."

"AHA!" Levi clapped his hands, pointing right at me. "I knew no one would actually _want_ to make a pact with me. Not like this is surprising or anything." He sighed as he said this last bit, then shrugged. "Well, I don't know what you're planning on doing with my record, but... Just don't sell it, understand?"

"Of course," I promised. "I'm borrowing it, so I have every intention of returning it. And unlike Mammon, it will be in a timely manner."

We began walking towards the house to retrieve the record, Levi continuing on as we did.

"You better, after you've wiped off any fingerprints. And no eating potato chips and stuff when you handle it. It's super, super rare, so you'd better not lose any of the inserts or the sleeve or anything!"

I nodded along with Levi's request, grinning from ear to ear as I finally acquired the final piece in my plan.


	7. The Voice in the Attic

I marched triumphantly down the halls of the House of Lamentation, clutching my hard won prize in my hands: the _Tale of the Seven Lords_ vinyl soundtrack. The cover showed an image of the characters from the series arranged in a group with the title written in a fancy script across the top. The back included the list of all the songs from the series itself, as well as a small note declaring the record to be cursed and that the record company was not liable for any wrongful death lawsuits.

"Why is this here?" I wondered aloud.

I decided not to question it, considering the record wasn't for me. Instead, I made my way over to Lucifer's room, giving his door a polite knock.

"The door's open," he called from inside. "Come in."

I opened the door, enter a large room that took my breath away. Everything was spacious and neat, a king sized bed with immaculately folded sheets resting beneath a golden framed painting of fallen angels. A carving of the grim reaper was situated in the corner, looking like he was holding up the room. There was a crackling fireplace with a pair of armchairs on one wall, an ornate record player resting on the mantle with a candelabra and an old photograph. There was even a coffee table and a couch, as well as an ornate desk. It was at this desk that I found Lucifer, pouring over some paperwork.

Lucifer was once more back to his normal self, and out of his school uniform. Despite that, he was still dressed to the nines, reminding me of a butler. He wore a red and black waist coat with white buttons over a grey collared shirt with a long red tie tucked in. His sleeve cuffs were white with black buttons, framing a pair of black gloves. He had simple black pants with a golden chain belt and brown leather shoes. He completed the outfit with a high-collared, fur-lined black coat, the inside of which bore a grey diamond pattern.

"Hi Lucifer," I greeted as I closed the door behind me. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Ah, Isabella. No, you're not. I was just finishing some paperwork in the wake of today's fiasco." He set down his pen, lacing his fingers together and leaning back in his chair. "How's your wrist?"

"It'll heal. Trust me, I've done worse to myself."

Lucifer's face became serious, laced with concern and regret.

"I am terribly sorry about what happened, for both my actions and Levi's. You should know he's not normally like that. He may be a high-ranking demon, but he's quite harmless by nature. Try not to hold it against him."

"Don't worry about that. Levi already apologized and we've made amends."

"Ah, that's good to hear." His smile returned, as did his happier tone of voice. "Tell me, what brings you here at this hour? I would have expected you in bed after the day you've had."

"Well, I felt bad about the scene Levi and I made earlier, so the two of us decided to make it up to you." I held out the record, giving Lucifer the most disarming smile I could. "I heard you've been interested in this record, so I convinced Levi to let you borrow it. He does want it back, and in good condition, but I don't think that will be an issue with you."

Lucifer looked at the record, first in complete shock. The, he broke out into a smile, chuckling softly.

"I wondered why you wanted a pact with Levi, and now it makes sense." He took the record, setting it on his desk. "Do you realize what it is you've got here? What it represents?"

"All I know it's an apparently cursed vinyl that you've been wanting to listen to for a while."

"Well, at least you know part of the story. You see, this record here has quite the history." He ran his gloved fingers along the cover. "While I don't have any interest in the story of the _Tale of the Seven Lords, _I am quite interested in the composer for the TSL movies. He killed himself, and the final song he wrote was meant to be used in the scene where the Lord of Corruption put a curse on the heroes. Unfortunately, due to the composer's suicide, it was not used in the film. They saved it, but didn't release it to the public."

"If that's true, then how did it end up on this record? And why is it cursed?"

"To answer your first question, a group of diehard fans pooled their own funds and had a very limited number of vinyl editions produced, including the one you've brought me. As for the curse, all of the people involved in its creation, as well as every single person who owned a copy of it, ended up dying mysteriously. Eventually, people started saying the record itself was cursed. I had believed all the records destroyed, but Levi had a copy all this time."

"So, I take it you like the offering?"

Lucifer chuckled again, meeting my eye and smiling.

"Indeed. Your offering is accepted and appreciated. I think I'll spend tonight savoring every last note of music… which probably means I won't be able to bring myself to leave my room tonight."

I was barely able to suppress my excited grin, my plan having succeeded in providing me an opening to the attic. Lucifer kept his eyes on me, a knowing glint in them as he kept up his smile.

"As Mammon has no doubt told you, we demons cannot resist temptation. When there's something we really want staring us in the face, we have to have it. That's simply how we are. Right now, what I want is to stay up all night listening to this record. I can't help it… I have to do it." He stood up, taking the record off his desk before approaching his record player. "But don't think that means you're free to go up to the attic. That place is off limits."

"Of course," I lied through my teeth.

Lucifer didn't buy it for a second, but his lust for the record was too much for even him to resist.

"Well then, good night."

"G'night Lucifer."

…

I slipped out of Lucifer's room, closing the door behind me. I had a massive grin on my face as I sprinted back to my room, rushing in and closing the door behind me.

"It worked! Mammon it-!"

I cut myself off when I took stock of the scene before me. Mammon was currently on his knees in front of my wardrobe going through my belongings. Beel was standing behind him, a box in his hand. I recognized the box as my stash of chocolate and snacks I had been stockpiling. From the chocolate crumbs around his mouth and the empty wrappers now filling the box, it was clear he'd demolished my stash.

"Belle!" Mammon cried out, jumping to his feet. "This isn't what it looks like!"

"Oh really?" I questioned, crossing my arms in annoyance. "Because it looks like you were rummaging through my things, exposing my stash of treats to Beel."

"They were good," Beel complimented, setting the box aside. "Where'd you get them?"

"That convenience store down the block," I answered. "Please kindly replace the snacks you ate. I'm saving those for when mother nature comes knocking."

Mammon looked at me like I was crazy, but Beel seemed to understand.

"You got it. Sorry for eating them. I was hungry."

He took the box once more, walking out of the room. I watched him go, then turned my attention to Mammon. In the time I was focused on the sixth oldest brother, he'd taken the time to close all my drawers and shut my wardrobe. He was currently leaning against the doors, trying to appear nonchalant.

"So… I heard you say the plan worked."

"Yes, it did," I admitted, keeping my arms crossed. "Lucifer's gonna be spending the night listening to the record."

"Well then, go on and get up those stairs, Belle. Night's a-wastin'."

I just stood there for a moment, then cocked my head towards the door.

"Right..." Mammon let out, faking a big yawn. "I'm gonna go to bed. Night, Belle."

He made it out the door, where he promptly bolted for his own room. Once I heard the sound of his door slamming shut, I poked my head out. Aside from the sound of the TSL record coming from Lucifer's room, there were no signs of life in the hall. I smirked, then made my way towards the spiral staircase to the attic.

…

I was more than a little giddy when I finally managed to reach the top of the staircase. I kept half expecting to run into Lucifer, but he remained firmly entrenched in his room. However, something else greeted me as I made my way up: the return of the mysterious voice.

"...Belle," the voice called out to me. "Finally, no one is going to stop you. Come, this way. Hurry Belle."

I took the stairs two at a time, eventually coming to a strange door. It reminded me of a trellis, wrought iron flower patterns forming a grid that blocked entrance into the room it led to. I approached the door, peering inside to find a comfortable room filled with various knick-knacks and tchotchkes. A comfortable bed with a wicker headboard and a red canopy rested off to the side, bronze stars and a crescent moon dangling from the ceiling. More swaths of cloth were draped across the support beams, lanterns hanging at every union point.

As I continued looking around the room, a figure suddenly rushed towards the door. It was a boy with shaggy dark hair with white undertones and bright pink eyes that sparkled in the lantern light. He was wearing a hooded shawl jacket with a blue and white striped pocket on the left side of the chest. It was buttoned in the middle and its cuffs were white. It rested over a plain white shirt with a black collar and yellowish brown pants. He had brown, laced leather boots that reach his knees and he was clutching a cow-patterned pillow with a cow tail strapped to it.

"I knew it," the boy said, his voice full of relief and excitement. "I knew you'd be able to find me."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Who am I?" The boy leaned against the door, looking wistful, yet angry. "That's a good question. I forgot the answer myself, long ago."

"A-Are you a demon?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" the boy stood up straight, looking angry. "Just the thought of being one of them is enough to send a shiver down my spine. I'm a human, just like you."

"How long have you been up here?"

"I don't know..." the boy clutched his pillow tightly, fingers digging into the patterned fabric. "A demon imprisoned me in here long ago, and I've been stuck here ever since."

"Lucifer..." It suddenly made sense why he wanted to keep me, or anyone for that matter, out of the attic. "It had to be him."

"Lucifer, yes." The boy nodded vigorously. "He's the one who locked me in here." He gripped the bars, looking at me with a pleading expression. "Please, I'm begging you Belle, you have to get me out of here."

I immediately began searching the door for a keyhole or a lock. To my surprise, I found neither. In fact, there wasn't even a door handle. The door simply existed, and was not made to be opened.

"I… I don't know if I can. The door's sealed shut and I don't see a way to open it."

"That's because it is sealed," the boy explained. "The door is a manifestation of a powerful binding spell, one neither of us have the capacity to dispel. In order to break the seal, you'll need the consent of Lucifer and all his brothers."

"Oh… well that is definitely easier said than done. I mean, I'm sure I can talk Beel into helping me. Levi and Mammon will be easy too, but Asmo, Satan, and Lucifer? That's gonna be difficult. Lucifer's already threatened to poison me just for trying to come up here."

The boy laughed a bit.

"Relax. Have you forgotten already? You have the power to bend demons to your will. All you have to do is make a pact with the brothers. _All of them._"

"All of them?"

"All of them. You already have Mammon and Levi under your thumb. Doing the same to the rest of them will be simple."

Red flags kept popping up, the little voice in my head warning me that there was something fishy about this mysterious prisoner. First off, he knew my name despite having never met me. Second, he knew I was human. Third, he'd said he'd been here for so long despite being human, and yet he barely looked out of his teens. Finally, he somehow knew about my pacts, despite the fact that I had just made the one with Levi barely an hour ago.

"Hold on, back up," I insisted. "How do you know about me and my pacts?"

"Voices travel through the walls, Belle. Now enough questions, please. You're the only one who can help me. You're my sole ray of hope in this bleak, bleak world."

I let out a long sigh, which the boy took as leave to continue.

"Start by gaining their trust, but whatever you do, do not tell them you came here and spoke with me."

"Where would I even start?"

"Beelzebub. He's your best bet. Get close to him and make a pact with him."

"I'll try..." I told the boy in a non-committal tone, still unsure about what was going on.

"Then we have a deal," the boy beamed, squeezing his pillow happily. "I'm counting on you, Belle."

I took that as my cue to leave, retreating down the stairs. More and more questions continued circulating through my head, all of them centered on the imprisoned boy. Who was he? What did he do to get locked up? Why did it seem like he knew more than he was letting on? Was he really human?

…

The next morning at breakfast, I was dressed and ready for a new week of school. As I shuffled into the dining room, Lucifer walked up next to me, smiling happily.

"Good Morning, Isabella."

"Morning," I greeted through a yawn.

"I must say, I enjoyed last night immensely. I listened to that record over and over… I can't tell you how many times. Unfortunately, I'm running on far too little sleep today, but I'm in a good mood."

I looked up at Lucifer, not noticing any sign of fatigue. I knew I wasn't so lucky, having had to use an entire tube of concealer to cover up the big bags under my eyes. Apparently I didn't do a good enough job because Lucifer saw right through me.

"I see you didn't get much sleep either. Did something happen last night to keep you up?"

"Just had trouble sleeping," I answered, yawning again. "Throbbing wrist didn't make it easy."

"I see." Lucifer's voice dropped in volume and his face grew serious. "Let me give you some advice: You should focus on surviving this year here, finishing the exchange program and going back to the human world. That's all you need to concern yourself with."

My sleep-deprived brain took a moment to process what Lucifer was saying. It apparently took too long because Lucifer spoke up again.

"Let me make it a bit clearer. 'Curiosity killed the cat.' Surely you've heard this expression? Well, curiosity can very literally get _you_ killed here as well." He smirked, but there was no amusement in his face, only cold cruelty. "Hmm, I guess that's more what you'd call a word of warning than a piece of advice. ...eh, why split hairs?" He looked me dead in the eye. "Forget all about what happened last night. I allowed you to satisfy your own curiosity, but rest assured, it won't happen again."

He walked ahead after that and I swallowed hard, wondering just how big of a can of worms I had just opened.


	8. The Demon Twins

One of the benefits of attending school at RAD was that there were a number of breaks offered in between classes. This meant I had an opportunity to recharge from particularly stressful classes, or just from rough days in general. Today was one of those days, my lack of sleep and Lucifer's thinly veiled threat making me rather strung out. As such, when break came around, I took the opportunity to just bury my head in my arms to try and get some sleep.

Joining me in my small respite was Mammon, who was sitting next to me with his lunch box in his lap. He was munching happily on his food, beaming the entire time.

"Ahh..." he sighed in contentment. "Nothin' beats a fried scorpion sandwich with vinegar and tartar sauce for a late morning snack. In a bento box with all the fixings, of course."

I just mumbled sleepily into my arm, adjusting myself to get comfortable. As I did, I noticed Beel sitting on the other side of me. His eyes were locked on Mammon's lunchbox and I swear he was drooling. Mammon noticed Beel's stares and put a protective arm around his lunchbox.

"Beel, stop it."

"Stop what?" Beel questioned.

"Stop looking at my food like that. It's like you're devouring it with your eyes!"

"I don't want it."

This confused both me and Mammon. I actually sat up, facing Beel.

"Hang on, did you just say you didn't want food?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Mammon exclaimed. "You're actually telling me you don't want this crazy good fried scorpion sandwich with vinegar and tartar sauce?! Are you sick?! Is this the day hell freezes over?!"

"Nope, none of the above," Beel assured us. "I just don't like your cooking Mammon."

I snorted loudly, covering my mouth with one hand at Beel's blunt reply. Mammon just glared at his brother, taking an indignant bite of his sandwich.

"Wow, rude much? That really hurts, ya know. And for the record, I _didn't _make this. I got it from a witch who gave it to me as an offering."

Before I could ask for clarification on this, Beel reached over and took the sandwich.

"Alright then, I'll take it."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Mammon tried in vain to reclaim his morning snack. "Who said you could have my sandwich?! I don't remember offerin' it to ya!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. In three seconds flat, Beel had inhaled the sandwich, gulping it down with a satisfied smile. Mammon looked red in the face.

"Beel! You better pay me back for that! I want money! Or gemstones! You owe me!"

Beel just shrugged.

"Sorry, I don't have any of that."

Mammon growled at his brother, then turned to me with an indignant look.

"Hey, Belle!" Don't just sit there watching! Say something!"

"Guys, just leave me out of this," I begged, laying back down on the table. "I am too tired to care right now."

"Too tired to care?!" Mammon sputtered. "You have to care! This is my food we're talking about here! I think I'm gonna cry!"

I just let out a groan, burying my head deeper into my arms. However, that's when I felt a warm aura approaching us. I cocked my head to the side to see Simeon approaching, Luke right on his heels. The taller angel gave the three of us a wave, smiling kindly.

"Hey there you three. It's so nice to see how well you're all getting along."

Mammon snorted in amusement, shaking his head.

"I don't know if that's angelic wishful thinking or delusions, but what part of this looks like we're getting along? We're about ready to kill each other!"

Luke poked his head out from behind Simeon, glaring at Mammon with a look that would kill him if it had the power.

"Don't you dare speak to Simeon that way, demon! Show some respect!"

I lifted up an arm, giving the angels a two fingered wave.

"Hey Simeon, Chihuahua."

"Not you too!" Luke whined, turning red. "My name is Luke, and I am not a Chihuahua!"

"Hey Fido, stop yipping at Belle, got it?" Mammon snapped, pushing Luke's beret over the short angel's eyes. "She's trying to sleep here."

Luke sputtered, removing his beret. He flattened his hair once again, then stuck his beret back on.

"How dare you treat me this way?!" He stomped his foot, turning even redder. "Now listen to me. I may not look important to you, but I'll have you know that I report directly to Michael-!"

"Right, uh-huh." Mammon droned on, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's always 'Michael this, Michael that' with you."

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you, demon!"

Simeon put a hand on Luke's shoulder, giving Mammon a stern look.

"Mammon, I know how cute Luke is when he's frustrated, but I think you've harassed him enough. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop."

"Yes, please," I pleaded, groaning into my arms. "Morning break will be over soon and I haven't been able to nap yet."

"Sorry, sorry," Mammon muttered. "It's just, it's so hard not to. It's too much fun, right Beel?"

"I bet he tastes good," Beel remarked.

"I am _not_ fun to harass, and I _don't_ taste good!" Luke insisted.

I snorted and sat up, realizing I was not going to get my much needed nap. I scratched at my scalp, groaning.

"No offense to either of you, Simeon, but what do you want? You guys wouldn't come over here and strike up a conversation if you didn't want something."

"Astute as ever, Belle," Simeon commended. "As it just so happens, Luke and I are planning to go on a camping trip soon. I thought it would be a good way to have fun and get to know each other better, so I came to invite you all."

"Camping?" Mammon moaned. "Come on Simeon, not another one of your lame ideas. Camping is a total drag. Tell 'im, Beel."

Beel didn't seem to agree with Mammon's sentiment. In fact, the idea had the gluttonous demon smiling.

"Camping..." he mused. "That means a cookout. Ooh! And roasting marshmallows. I'm in."

Mammon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ya see, this is your problem, Beel. You've gotta quit lettin' your stomach make decisions for you." He then turned to me expectantly. "How about you, Belle? How do you feel about this camping thing?"

"Well, I haven't been camping since I was a kid, and I won't turn down a chance to make s'mores. I'm in too."

Mammon groaned, his head drooping.

"I was afraid you'd say that… Why do I have to be about you people? You're all such a drag."

I just shrugged, not really caring. Simeon seemed to share my sentiment, his smile never leaving his face.

"Well, the invitation is still open should you change your mind." His D.D.D. began ringing, drawing his attention. "Apologies, I best take this. It was lovely seeing you three again."

He walked off to take his call, Luke preparing to follow. The small angel paused before he did, glancing back at me and meeting my eye. He didn't say a word, but I could almost hear the warning he had given me back when I first met him. I had passed it off as remaining tension between the Celestial Realm and Devildom, but considering the mystery boy in the attic, and Lucifer's multiple threats to kill me, I was beginning to question that assumption.

"Hey, Fido," Mammon spoke up. "Shouldn't you be headin' off with your friend there?"

Luke broke eye contact, bristling visibly.

"Don't tell me what to do. As it happens, I _am_ leaving, but _not_ because you told me to." He started walking off, but not before getting the last word in. "Also, _my name's not Fido, okay?!_"

He disappeared, seconds before the bell let out its mournful toll. I groaned, burying my face in my arms and wishing for the day to be over.

…

At the end of the day, I made a beeline for my room. I dropped my books on my desk, shrugged out of my tunic, undid my ribbon tie, discarded them over a chair, and then proceeded to flop face first onto my bed. I was done with mysteries and drama for the day, wanting nothing more than to sleep. I still didn't trust the boy in the attic, sensing that he was trying to pull the wool over my eyes.

I was so lost in thought that I almost didn't hear my D.D.D. go off. With a great amount of reluctance, I got up, fishing into the pocket of my tunic to find the device. My message app was trembling, signaling I had a message.

**Mammoney: I'm feeling a little hungry.**

**Mammoney: Come meet me in the kitchen. Now.**

I groaned before typing my reply.

**Tinker Belle: Mammon, I'm tired and cranky. I'm going to bed.**

I was prepared to set my phone down, but it went off almost immediately after.

**Mammoney: Please just come?**

**Mammoney: I promise it's not because I'm afraid Lucifer might catch me if I go alone.**

I raised an eyebrow at the screen. Before I even had a chance to begin a reply, another message came through.

**Mammoney: Seriously, that's not what this is about! For real, it isn't!**

I sighed, realizing he wasn't going to let up until I met him in the kitchen. I shoved my D.D.D. into my pocket, then made my way down to the kitchen.

…

"Took ya long enough," Mammon snapped as I entered the kitchen. "Listen, when I call you, you need to come lickety-split. I'm hungry and I'm in a bad mood to boot."

"_You're_ in a bad mood? I'm cranky as hell and I'm in serious need of sleep."

Mammon gave me a dismissive wave, heading over to the fridge.

"Whatever. Maybe we can find something good in the fridge to take our minds off our foul moods." He opened the door, taking a look at the contents. "And of course, there's nothin' good in here."

I bent down to take a look, then spied a custard tucked into the corner.

"Hang on, what about that custard?"

Mammon looked at it, grinned, then grabbed it and thrusted it into my hand.

"Nice eye, and to the victor, the spoils."

I smirked, snagging a spoon from the silverware drawer. I popped the lid about took a bite, the creamy texture instantly making me feel less cranky. I popped another spoonful in my mouth as I turned back to the fridge.

"This is good. I'm surprised you didn't take it for yours-" I cut myself off when I saw Mammon hastily stuff a piece of paper in his pocket. "What was that?"

Mammon turned to me, doing his best to appear innocent.

"What was what?"

"That paper you just stuffed into your pocket. What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing! There's no paper and there's nothing wrong!"

I gave him a deadpan stare and held out my hand.

"Give me the paper."

Mammon yelped as his hand moved of its own accord, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the paper. I snatched it up when he offered it to me, uncrumbling it and opening it. It was a small note with a single piece of tape on it. It read, "Property of Beelzebub. You eat it, you die". I read those words again, then slowly glanced down at the custard in my other hand. Suddenly, everything made sense.

"Mammon… is this Beel's custard?"

"It's custard."

"Did you bring me down here so you could get revenge on Beel for eating your morning snack and I would take the blame?"

"No! I just wanted a snack and I figured you'd like the custard, so I gave it to you."

"You gave me Beel's custard, with a clear note declaring that anyone who ate it would die!" I crumbled up the note and threw it at Mammon. "I can't believe this! Actually, I can! You really are the scum of the Devildom!"

"Hey!" Mammon got in my face. "I was trying to be nice, okay?! See if I let you have the good snacks aga-"

"What's going on in here?" Beel's voice suddenly called out.

Mammon went pale and my blood went cold. Slowly, we both turned to see the Avatar of Gluttony standing over us. His expression was hard to read, until he laid eyes on the custard in my hand. His eyes then traveled down to the ground, where the crumbled note was resting at Mammon's feet.

"Is that my custard?" He questioned coldly.

"I didn't know it was yours when I ate it!" I hastily explained. "Mammon took the note before I saw it! I wouldn't have eaten it if I-!"

"You traitorous bitch!" Mammon shouted. "Beel, the custard's in her hand, and that's her spoon! She ate it, not me!"

"I am not taking the fall for your revenge, Mammon!"

Before our argument could move beyond that, both Mammon and I became aware of an aura of rage manifesting around Beel. He grabbed the custard from my hand, crushing it in his grip and completely mangling the spoon. Even worse, he began to transform right before our eyes, revealing his true demonic form.

He had a pair of black, ridged horns that curled around his head like a circlet. He had a black shirt with a grey flame pattern on the right side under a black punk jacket with a high collar. The collar had a buckle dangling from it and two patches of gold spikes on either arm. The coat only came to halfway down his hips, a pair of insectoid wings visible from his back. He wore a pair of black pants with black cowboy boots and a white belt hanging off his hip. This dark color scheme only made him even more intimidating as he got in our faces.

"You… ate… my… _CUSTARD?!_"

I screamed, Mammon screamed, and Beel lunged at us.

…

Beel, Mammon and I stood before Lucifer, who observed the three of us like a mother scolding unruly children. I was covered in stone dust, drywall, and wood splinters. Mammon was similarly coated, but also possessed several bruises, a split lip, and a bloody nose. Beel, who was thankfully back to normal, had his knuckles bruised badly, but was otherwise unharmed.

The same could not be said for the kitchen, was completely and utterly destroyed. The fridge was embedded in the wall, water leaking onto the floor. The over had been completely crushed, the indent of a person in the metal. The wall leading into the dining hall was utterly demolished, the doors trampled to death on the ground. Even worse, there was a massive hole in the ceiling where the stove fan had been. Said hole led right into my room, giving anyone a worm's eye view of the contents.

"So," Lucifer began, using that tone parents reserve for serious offenses. "Who wants to tell me what happened here?"

"I was hungry, so I went to the kitchen lookin' for something to eat. I invited Belle because I figured she could use a snack too..." Mammon began. "I was digging through the fridge, then Beel suddenly came up and attacked us!"

"You ate _my_ custard," Beel defended.

"_I_ didn't eat it, Belle did." Mammon pointed right at me.

"I didn't _know_ it was Beel's when you gave it to me," I retorted. "You set me up to take the fall for _your_ revenge scheme!"

"I didn't know it was Beel's either!" Mammon tried.

"Liar!" Beel snapped. "I wrote my name on it and everything!"

"Yeah, you pocketed the note, remember?" I jabbed Mammon in the chest. "'Property of Beelzebub. You eat it, _you die_'!"

Mammon looked away from both of us.

"I have… no idea what you're talking about. Besides, Belle's the one that ate it, so why am I the only one who got attacked? You didn't even touch her, but you broke my nose and busted my lip!"

"Because Belle's just as much a victim as me," Beel explained. "You dragged her into this and tried to use her as a sacrificial lamb. Well guess what, I saw right through it."

Lucifer sighed, the noise snapping our attention back on him.

"So, let me see if I've got this straight. Mammon was hungry, so he went rummaging for food, dragging Isabella along with him. When he found Beel's custard, he tricked his unwitting accomplice into eating. The end result was when Beel found out, he lost control of himself and went on a rampage."

"Less rampage, more rage-induced beat-down," I corrected.

"Very well," Lucifer allowed. "In the wake of said rage-induced beat-down, the kitchen ended up getting destroyed, including the floor of Isabella's room." he glared directly at Mammon. "All because you wanted to avenge a sandwich."

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up..." Mammon said, removing the tissue from his nose and chucking it into Lucifer's desk trash can.

"My custard..." Beel moaned.

"Sorry, Lucifer," I apologized.

Lucifer sighed heavily.

…

For the next three hours, Lucifer lectured the three of us on our behavior. I received a tongue lashing for not stopping Mammon's shenanigans and allowing myself to be dragged into trouble. He cited my already injured wrist and how I could have been hurt worse or even killed in the resulting fight. He insisted I should have come and gotten him before the damage became as bad as it did.

Beel received a stern warning against giving into his anger over a simple desert. He informed Beel that his behavior was completely uncalled for and was given a detailed list of everything that would need to be replaced and repaired, complete with prices. He also went on about endangering me and how if I had been hurt, then he would have made himself, all of the brothers, and Lord Diavolo look bad. They were pushing their luck as is with my sprained wrist and they did not need another incident. He wrapped up with warning Beel to keep his temper and hunger in check in the future.

Finally, Mammon was chewed out for everything under the sun. He ranted about his pettiness, his lying, and his underhanded attitude. He called him a large plethora of names, variations of scum being a crowd favorite. He told him that costs for the kitchen would be coming out of his earnings from his modeling jobs, shutting down protests before they even began. He made it clear that if something like this happened again, he would make Mammon wish he was never born.

"So, now that we've got that straight, I expect each of you to learn something from all of this," Lucifer concluded.

"Yes, Lucifer..." Mammon droned.

Beel just nodded, and I did the same. Lucifer turned to me as I did this, his lecture tone becoming his normal tone.

"Isabella, since your room is currently lacking a large chunk of the floor, not to mention major wiring will need to be replaced in order to fully repair the kitchen, I'm afraid we'll have to find somewhere else for you to sleep."

"Where?" I questioned. "I don't think there are any spare bedrooms here."

"No, so for the time being, you'll be staying in Beel's room."

"Wait, what?!" Mammon exclaimed, looking flustered and angry. "Now just a second. Why're ya puttin' Belle in _his_ room? There's plenty of space in my room, right? And I'm supposed to be lookin' after her anyhow!"

"I am not staying in your room, Mammon," I declared curtly. "It smells like a gym locker room."

"Besides," Lucifer added with a hint of amusement in his voice, "you shouldn't get jealous over such a trivial matter. The reason Beel's room is ideal is because there is a second bed there."

This information came as a surprise, confirming my theory that Beel did indeed share a room with the seventh brother. I was curious why the bed was available, but I decided not to question it. Mammon, on the other hand, had some questions of his own.

"Jealous? Me?!" He snorted, waving a hand. "As if. I'm not jealous. I'm just saying that Belle made a pact with me, remember?"

He held up his wrist, shaking the golden bracelet that represented our pact. Lucifer just pushed his wrist back down.

"Your pact is irrelevant. She's staying in Beel's room, and that's final." He glanced over at Beel. "Understand, Beel?"

Beel didn't look angry or put off by the decision. He just looked resigned.

"Yeah, I understand," he said softly.

…

It took some time to gather up my stuff, maneuvering myself carefully around the massive hole in my floor. Once I had all my clothes and school supplies, I carried them down the hall to Beel's room. He was leaning against the door frame, waiting for me.

"Need help?"

"Please, it's hard to carry all this with one hand."

Beel took my stuff from me, lifting it all with one arm like it was nothing. I got the door, pushing it open so we could enter. To my surprise, the room was perfectly divided down the middle, the two sides complete mirrors of each other. The side on the left was painted a warm red color, a sun motif emblazoned in gold above a modest bed with plaid sheets. There was an armchair with a lamp, a hope chest, a wardrobe, and a couch, all various shades of red. The walls were covered with pictures of clouds and summer, everything about that side of the room, feeling happy and inviting.

The other half of the room was a deep purple with a moon and stars motif over the bed. The furniture was all various shades of purple and the pictures showed starry skies, nebulas, and moonlit views. This side was inviting in a completely different way, a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere to it. I felt like I could just peacefully exist on this side of the room, resting quietly and letting my cares melt away.

Knowing Beel and his generally outgoing personality, I figured the left side of the room was his. As such, I turned towards the right side. I made it one step onto the purple threshold when Beel's hand took hold my shoulder.

"No," he requested gently. "Don't use that bed. Use my bed, the one on the left."

I looked back at Beel as he set down my stuff on top of his hope chest.

"But what about you? Where will you sleep?"

"I'll sleep on the couch," he answered, gesturing to the red couch.

I was confused, and more than a little worried. Beel's expression was incredibly heartbroken and I swear I saw tears glistening in his ears. I put my hand over his, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Beel, whose bed is that?"

Beel didn't answer for the longest time. Instead, he gently released my shoulder, sitting down on his bed and rubbing his face. I sat down next to him, patiently resting a hand on his back. He let out a shaky breath, lower his hand and closing his eyes.

"My twin brother's. His name is Belphegor."

"Did something happen to him?"

"Not quite. He's in the human world right now as an exchange student with Diaval."

"I see… You must miss him."

"There's… there's more to it than that, Belle." Beel began wringing his hands. "You see, Belphie had a falling out with Lucifer before the program started. Because of that, he was chosen to be one of the exchange students."

"Oh… He didn't want to go, did he?"

"No, but Lucifer forced him to. That's why you can't mention Belphie's name in front of him."

"I won't, I promise." I glanced over at the right side of the room, curiosity gnawing at me the more I did. "What was Belphie like? He's the Avatar of Sloth right? Explains why his side of the room is so calm and cozy."

"Belphie is my complete opposite. To be honest, the only reason we're considered twins is because our father created us at the same time. Despite this, Belphie and I always got along." A wistful smile graced Beel's face the more he spoke. "We had a little sister, Lilith, who would always hang around us too. The three of us were inseparable."

"Were?" I repeated.

Beel's smile faced, the sadness returning.

"...it was a long time ago."

"So, where's Lilith? Is she an exchange student too? Am I sleeping in her room?"

Beel fell silent, then he rose off the bed.

"I don't feel like talking about them anymore."

"Okay, okay," I gave a nod, not wanting to push. "You sure about me sleeping in your bed? I'll take the couch if you want."

"No, I broke your floor, so it's only fair you get my bed. I'll be fine with the couch."

He walked off after that, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. I watched him go, then turned my attention towards the purple bed. For some reason, my mind began drifting back up to the mysterious boy in the attic. The boy who seemed to know a surprising amount about the brothers despite being a human. The boy who had insisted on me not mentioning him to any of the brothers. The boy who had suggested I try to make a pact with Beel next, as if he knew Beel would be the easiest to sway.

"It couldn't be…" I whispered to myself, "Could it?"

I got up, approaching the purple side of the room. I looked at the various pictures on the wall, looking for any portraits of Belphie. I struck gold when I found one resting in a small frame on the nightstand. It showed Beel leaning on the shoulder of the boy from the attic, smiling as he did.

"It's him… Belphie..."

I stumbled backwards, the pieces falling into place. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was out of the bedroom, making tracks for the attic.

…

I'm not sure if he heard my footsteps or what, but the boy was waiting by the trellis gate when I got to the top of the stairs. I was out of breath, my hands shaking from adrenaline and from the realization.

"Belle, hello," He greeted. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. What brings you-?"

"I know who you are."

The boy stopped mid-sentence.

"I know you're Belphegor."

Belphie looked at me, then sighed, closing his eyes.

"You really are a clever one. You figured it out must faster than I thought you would." He smiled at me, giving a small wave. "I am indeed Belphegor, the Avatar of Sloth and the youngest of the demon brothers."

"Why did you lie to me? Why feed me some bullshit story about not knowing who you were? Or try and pass yourself off as human?"

Belphie shrugged.

"Honestly, I was bored. I've been up here for weeks with nothing to do and I wanted to have some fun. I figured you'd figure out the truth eventually, even if you were a stupid, foolish human."

I sighed at the insult.

"Wow, you really are Beel's complete opposite."

That caught Belphie's attention. He straightened up, holding his pillow to his chest.

"Beel… he told you about me, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He and the others think you're in the human world as an exchange student."

Belphie snorted.

"Oh man, is that what he told them? Man I can't _wait_ to see the looks on their faces when they find out Lucifer locked me in this filthy attic."

"Why haven't you called your brothers for help? I'm pretty sure they'd help you if they could."

"No, they can't know about this." Belphie gripped the designs of the trellis tightly. "Listen to me, if my brothers learned about my current situation, they'd fly into a rage and confront Lucifer."

"Considering Beel destroyed the kitchen over a custard, I can only imagine the destruction rage of this magnitude would do."

"Exactly. The entire Devildom would be enveloped in a war so destructive, even the human world would feel its effects."

"So, what do we do?"

"We find a peaceful resolution. I'm sure Beel told you that Lucifer has a disagreement before I 'left'. I know that if Lucifer and I were able to have a proper, face-to-face talk, I could explain myself. He would realize that our falling out was just a misunderstanding and we could work things out."

"You're being surprisingly cordial in all this."

"I've had a lot of time to think, locked up alone in here. All I want is to get out of here, find Lucifer, and just talk. I swear to you." He looked me in the eye, his bright pink eyes pleading as hard as they could. "Please Belle, you have to believe me."

"Belphie, I-" I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I don't know if you're lying to me. I mean, locking up his own brother for a disagreement? You have to realize how that sounds."

"I do, and if I had a way to prove I was telling the truth, I would. You're the only one I can count on to help me, Belle."

I backed away. Belphie sighed, backing away as well.

"I get it though." he turned away, nails digging into his pillow. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

He went over to the bed, laying down and curling into a ball, hugging his pillow tighter than ever. I watched him for a brief moment, then went back down the stairs to consider everything I had learned.

...

I spent my first night in Beel's room just staring at my host. He curled up on the couch, clad only in his fleece pajama bottoms, muttering in his sleep. I heard the words Belphie and Lilith used multiple times, his face completely heartbroken. I felt bad, knowing that my questions about the seventh brother had been the cause of all this strife in the gluttonous demon.

...

The next morning, Beel's melancholy remained. I found him out in the planetarium, talking to Lucifer about something. When I took a moment to listen in, I wasn't too shocked to discover Belphie to be the topic of discussion.

"I haven't heard anything from Belphie up in the human world," Beel said, playing with his sleeve.

"He's probably been busy," Lucifer supplied, his poker face remaining impeccable and untraceable. "The life of an exchange student is a busy one."

"Belphie was against the whole exchange program from the start. I know he didn't want to go to the human world of all places."

Lucifer's poker face actually faltered for a moment, remorse leaking through the cracks.

"No, I don't imagine he did."

"Come on, Lucifer. You have to forgive Belphie and let him come home. I'll even take his place if I have to."

A piece of my heart actually broke at the desperate pleas. I put a hand over my mouth to stifle any noises I would unintentionally make. Unfortunately, Lucifer was not as easily moved.

"No."

"But-"

"No, Beel. You understand Diavolo's dream, don't you?"

Beel hesitated for a moment before answering.

"...for angels, demons, and humans to recognize, accept, and respect one another. And to create a new world together-"

"Exactly," Lucifer nodded. "The first step towards that goal is this exchange program. But Belphegor opposed it. I will eliminate anyone who tries to stand in the way of Diavolo's dream..." he fist clenched tightly. "...no matter who they might be. Even if it's my own brother."

Both Beel and I were stunned. Lucifer's cold tone and ruthless promise were positively gut wrenching. I felt betrayed by his words, and I could only imagine how Beel felt. Lucifer must have noticed Beel's reaction because his tone softened once more.

"Beel, it's not that I don't understand how you feel. Belphie is your twin brother, and you were especially close to him. So, with that said, answer me this. Who would you choose to side with, Belphegor or me?"

I gasped into my hand, barely able to comprehend what I was hearing. He was making Beel choose?! That was just sick and wrong! Beel was equally stunned as he didn't seem to have an answer. He just looked at the ground, looking torn beyond belief.

"...so he can't manage to answer, eh?" mammon's voice said from right next to me. "That's just like Beel..."

I barely suppressed a squeal of surprise, turning to Mammon with shock, fear, and anger.

"What?" He whispered. "Don't look at me like that. You were eavesdropping too." He took hold of my free hand. "Come on, we'll be caught if we stay here too long."

…

Mammon and I retreated to the dining room, where he requested I tell him what was going on. Needing to get what I could off my chest, I told him about my talk with Beel last night. I left out the truth about Belphie for obvious reasons, just telling Mammon what I knew about his and Lucifer's disagreement, as well as its effect of Beel. To his credit, Mammon genuinely listened to me.

"I'm surprised Beel told you about Belphie, much less Lilith. Not bad, for a human."

"Mammon, I'm grasping at straws here. What's going on? Why is Lucifer acting this way? You have to explain this to me. Please."

Mammon sighed, sitting down and removing his sunglasses.

"It's not…" he took a shaky breath. "It's difficult to explain."

"Please… try."

I did my best not to word it like an order. I don't know if I failed or if Mammon was just trying to be accommodating, but he slid his glasses back on and faced me.

"Okay, I'll try… You see, we were all actually angels up in the Celestial realm once upon a time. Back then, Lucifer was very fond of Beel, Belphie, and Lilith. He loved those three. But… after we Fell, capital F, things changed. Lucifer pledged himself to Diavolo, putting his desires before everything else, no matter what. Even if he doesn't agree with it, he just goes along without any question."

"Wow..."

"I know, but anyway, that's what brought this on. When Lord Diavolo suggested this exchange program thing, Belphie opposed it. Lucifer refused to listen to a word he said. He just sent him up to the human world and that was that. I mean, I'm not sayin Belphie could have changed his mind, but if the two of them would've just talked it out… things would've turned out different..."

Belphie's words rang in my ears, his desire to speak with his brother and work things out. Beel's heartbroken face and his quiet cries in his sleep just cemented my resolve.

"Thanks Mammon." I got to my feet. "You were a big help."

Mammon looked shocked by the praise, which melted into a warm, genuine smile as I got up and walked out of the dining room.

…

"Belphie," I called out softly.

Belphie rolled over on his bed, seeing me standing before the door. He looked surprised by my presence, but nevertheless got up, tucking his pillow under his arm as he approach me.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected. I didn't think you'd be coming back anytime soon, or at all for that matter."

"I'll do it," I declared. "I'll help you get out of here."

Belphie blinked, then gave me a relieved smile.

"Thank you..." he wiped his eyes, hiding tears of happiness. "But, why? I thought you didn't trust me. What changed your mind?"

"I'm doing this for Beel. I hate seeing him caught in the middle of all this."

"I get it. Believe me I do. However, you must remember that no one can know I'm up here. Let them keep believing I'm an exchange student. It's for the best."

"Okay Belphie, I promise."

I turned to walk away, but then felt a hand on my sleeve. I stopped, turning back to Belphie. He retracted his hand, meeting my eyes.

"Thank you… for coming back."

I gave him a smile, nodded, then retreated from the attic.


	9. The Runaway Dog

Ever have one of those days where everything's going great, then something happens that completely throws a wrench in your plans? For me, that wrench took the form of a text I received a week or two after my decision to help Belphie. I was just meandering around the House of Lamentation, no real idea of what to do with myself, when I felt my D.D.D. vibrate. I glanced down to find I had a message from Luke.

**Angeluke: Can you come outside now?**

**Angeluke: I'm in front of the House of Lamentation.**

I looked at the messages in surprise, then moved towards one of the windows that led outside. Sure enough, Luke was standing by the front gate, tapping his foot and looking around. Curiosity getting the better of me, I went outside to meet him.

...

"Belle!" He cheered happily as I approached the gate. "You came, thank you! I was worried someone would see me. I can't let people witness me willingly approaching a place like this."

"What are you doing here, Luke?" I wondered. "You've made it quite clear you hate the brothers, and you're even insulting my host home as we speak."

"I need your help. Believe me, I wouldn't have come to this den of demons if it wasn't important." He looked me in the eyes. "I need you to let me spend the night in your room."

"...what?"

"Please, I'm begging you!" He gripped onto the hem of my hoodie, looking at me desperately. "You have to let me spend the night in your room!"

"Luke… I-"

Luke shot me with the best puppy dog eyes I have ever seen. His child-like physique and desperate voice only added to them, especially when he threw in a pathetic whimper. It was too much for me to resist.

"Okay… okay, you can stay."

"Yes!" Luke cheered.

I winced, holding up a single finger.

"There's just…" I cocked the finger slightly, "one little catch."

…

Luke stood in the middle of Beel's room, staring down the demon. Beel was sitting on the couch, arms crossed as he met the diminutive angel's eyes.

"Belle," Luke spoke up, "this isn't what I was talking about at all. I believe I asked to stay in _your _room."

"And you are," I assured him. "My room just happens to be Beel's room, so if you want to spend the night with me, you have to spend it with him too."

"But why? I thought you had your own room! Why don't you have your own room?!"

"You're too loud," Beel admonished, "Unless you want the entire house to learn you're here, keep your voice down."

"Answer the question!" Luke demanded.

"Okay, okay," I waved him down. "Long story short, my room is currently off limits due to a massive hole in the floor."

That through Luke for a loop.

"What? What happened? Is that why your wrist got hurt?"

I unconsciously stuck my injured wrist behind my back.

"My wrist has nothing to do with my room getting damaged, and as for what happened, let's just say Mammon's gonna think twice before taking custard that doesn't belong to him."

Now Luke looked even more confused.

"Custard?"

"Look, bottom line is that Lucifer ordered us to share a room," Beel summarized. "We don't have a choice, so there. Besides, I don't remember asking anyone to pick up a _dog_ from the street and bring it back here, not to mention one that never stops _barking._"

"Hey!" Luke began shaking his fists in childish anger. "Don't compare me to a dog! Anyway, I wasn't _picked up off the street_! I came here of my own free will!"

Beel just sighed, then grabbed a pitcher of pomegranate juice from off the table. He'd been studying when I brought Luke in and had the juice on standby for when he was thirsty. He took a clean cup, pouring some of the juice into it before handing it to Luke.

"Here, drink this and try and calm down."

Luke looked at the red juice with serious trepidation. To make him feel better, I poured myself a glass and took a swig, ensuring him that it was good. Realizing that Beel meant him no harm, Luke looked genuinely surprised.

"Beelzebub? Why are you being so nice to me? It's creeping me out."

"Because you gave me cake once."

"Wait, cake?" I questioned, turning to Luke. "When did you give him cake?"

"I don't-" He then perked, realization dawning. "Oh, you're talking about that one time..."

"Hey, don't leave me in the dark," I insisted. "Spill!"

"It's nothing important really, but in recent years, I've actually been learning how to bake cakes and pastries and things."

"Cool," I commended.

"No, no, it's not that impressive." Luke was blushing at the praise, smiling a bit. "I mean, I've only been doing it for about 300 years or so, I'm still an amateur. You see, Michael loves sweets of all kinds, so I'd like to present him with a cake I made myself someday. That's why I'm doing it."

"And I'm guessing the exchange didn't stop you from continuing your passion?" I surmised.

"Nope," Luke shook his head. "Not too long ago, I was testing out a new recipe when Beel happened to walk by. He was he was hungry, so I offered to let him taste test for me."

"And he basically inhaled your entire cake, right?"

Beel nodded, rubbing his stomach and smiling.

"Just thinking back on it makes me wish I could have some right now..."

"I was hoping he'd just taste test, but he ate every last crumb without even stopping to taste it!"

Beel turned to Luke with a smile.

"It was good, and I said as much back then."

I laughed, shaking my head and holding my forehead as I sat down on the couch next to Beel.

"Beel, when doing a taste test, one needs to hear more than 'it's good'." I then just sat up, facing Luke. "Anyways, we're way off topic now. Why exactly are you so keen on staying with me?"

Luke's smile disappeared and he looked away, reminding me of a little kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"Well… I-... This is all Simeon's fault. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."

"Oh?" I questioned. "Why is that?"

"Because he's getting way too chummy with these demons." He straightened up, pounding a fist against his chest. "We are _angels_, proud inhabitants of the Celestial Realm! And what's more, we report directly to Michael the Archangel himself! Yet, because of this exchange program, we've been sent down here to the Devildom of all places - and what's more, we're supposed to _associate_ with demons! It's unbelievable! I mean, we're talking about DEMONS here! Just the idea of speaking with one face-to-face is repulsive!"

Beel leaned over slightly, whispering in my ear.

"Did he forget I'm actually a demon?"

I shrugged as Luke continued his rant. By now, the angel had discarded his juice and was pacing around the carpet.

"If we go making friends with _demons_, what do you think is going to happen next, huh? I'll tell you what: we'll be corrupted! I'm always warning him about this, but he _ignores_ me. Then, he just leaves to have tea with Diavolo… He even suggested that I ask Barbatos to instruct me in the finer points of baking pastries and cakes! Can you believe it?! I mean, sure it's said that Barbatos is the greatest pastry chef in all the three worlds, but he's a _DEMON!_"

"I'm surprised no one's eaten him yet," I whispered into Beel's ear, "All this anti-demon talk is not a good idea down here."

Beel nodded along. Luke didn't seem to notice, lost in his rant.

"Simeon won't listen to a thing I say! I could disappear off the face of the Earth for all he cared! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he even finds me annoying." He looked sad for a moment. "Maybe he thinks of me like a dog too… a noisy dog that never shuts up..."

"His words, not ours," Beel whispered.

"Simeon would rather spend time with _DEMONS_ than with me!" Luke shouted.

Everything clicked after that.

"He's jealous," both Beel and I said at the same time.

"I told Simeon our friendship was over, and then I strode right out of Purgatory Hall. I can't go crawling back now, not after I did that..." Luke turned back to me and I sat up straight. "That's why I'm asking you to let me stay here for a while."

"Even though you hate demons?" Beel pointed out.

"Well, what choice do I have?! ...this is the only place I could think of to go."

I turned to Beel, giving a shrug.

"Your room, Beel. I'll leave this one up to you."

Beel looked at me, then over at Luke. Luke shot the gluttonous demon another dose of puppy dog eyes, clasping his hands together and looking very much like a pleading choir boy. Beel hesitated for a brief moment, then let out a breath.

"Alright Luke, you can stay. I do owe you for the cake."

"Really?! You mean it?!" Luke literally bounced on his heels from excitement. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Whoa, Whoa, inside voice," I warned, waving him down with my hands. "You're going to get all three of us in trouble."

"Belle's right. If my brothers find out I'm sheltering an _angel_, they'd kick me out." He said the word 'angel' like Luke had been saying demon, but Luke was too excited to care.

"You got it! Leave it to me! I'll make sure no one ever finds out!"

Both Beel and I shushed him, instantly regretting our decision.

…

Have you ever been at that stage in your childhood when you beg your parents for a bet? I did when I was nine, begging for a puppy. I was warned it would be a big responsibility and that I would have to feed it, water it, and clean up after it. Taking care of Luke was almost exactly like that, making his nickname "Chihuahua" make all the more sense.

Because Luke wasn't supposed to be in the House of Lamentation, he couldn't exactly go down to the dining room for breakfast. As such, I had offered to bring him some breakfast. At first, he had been absolutely grateful and appreciative, then he had turned into what was colloquially known as a "choosing beggar". He had given me a list of things he didn't like and what he refused to eat. As such, in my attempt to find food to fit his incredibly picky pallet, I ended up drawing the attention of Mammon.

"Hey Belle, you okay? You're not eating much. If you don't eat a proper breakfast, you'll be out of gas by lunchtime. Are you feeling sick or something?"

"Awww, are you worried about me?" I teased.

As I predicted, Mammon was instantly flustered. His tsundere defense mechanism kicked in and he was instantly knee-deep in denial, blushing as red as a tomato.

"Wh-..! N-No! Why would _I_ be worried about whether you're sick or not?! You could have an alien burst out of your stomach for all I care, dummy!"

Asmo laughed slightly, shaking his head before pointing his fork at Mammon.

"Wow, you're so desperate to deny that you care. It's embarrassing listening to you when you're like this..."

Mammon threw his napkin at Asmo as Beel stood up, grabbing his plate.

"Well, I think I've had enough for now."

I swear, the entire table went utterly silent. Mammon, Asmo, and Satan all stared at Beel like he'd just declared the apocalypse. I just took the opportunity to grab some bacon, munching on it out of hunger. The sound of my eating snapped the brothers out of their trance, Mammon shaking his head before just gaping at Beel.

"Beel!" he exclaimed. "You're actually gonna- gonna leave _food_ on your plate?! Uneaten food?! You've gotta be kiddin' me!"

"I can't ever remember you doing that, and my memory goes back at _least_ 5000 years!" Asmo tacked on.

"I never said I wasn't going to eat it," Beel said defensively, "I'm going to take it back to my room and finish it there. That's all."

This didn't seem to calm matters at all. Mammon continued freaking out, waving his arms wildly as he kept shouting.

"Is this the end of the world?! Are we about to be invaded by an army of angels?!"

"Can you really be called the Avatar of Gluttony if you don't even finish all of the food on your plate?!" Asmo wondered. "If you don't have that, you're just a regular demon, aren't you?!"

Surprisingly, Satan wasn't freaking out like the others. Instead, he looked over Beel as if he was sizing him up. After a moment, he calmly spoke up.

"You picked up a stray cat, didn't you? You've probably got it hidden in your room somewhere. Just make sure you put it back where you found it when you've had your fun."

"Actually, it's more of a dog than a cat..." Beel muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Satan asked.

"Nothing," Beel dismissed, walking off with his plate.

I took the opportunity to duck out as well, hoping to avoid any scrutinizing questions from the brothers. The only consolation was Lucifer wasn't there, so we didn't have to worry about him asking questions.

…

Unfortunately for me and Beel, Luke's pickiness was not the only problem that arose while we sheltered him. Despite his claims of being a serious angel and "reporting directly to Michael himself," Luke acted very much like a little boy in a new place. After everyone had left for class, Beel and I found the pint-sized angel blipping around the house, poking his head in various rooms.

"Hmph," Luke let out as he walked down the hall. "Considering they call this place the House of Lamentation, I would've expected it to be more impressive. But it's just big. Aside from that, it's not so different from Purgatory Hall." He reached the door leading to Satan's bedroom, beaming happily. "Belle, Beel! What's this room here?"

"Luke, stop running around," I commanded. "Do you want to get yourself caught?"

"I'm not gonna get caught. Everyone's already at school. Besides, I can't stay in Beel's room all day. I'll go crazy." He then proceeded to open the door to Satan's room. It revealed a room crammed wall to wall with books of all shapes and sizes. Some of the books were even flying around, as if propelled by magic, while others were stacked in tall towers that almost reached the ceiling.

"Hey!" Beel snagged Luke around the stomach, pulling him away from Satan's room. I took the opportunity to close the door as Beel set Luke back down. "Didn't you hear Belle? Stop darting around."

Luke didn't listen. Instead, he rushed over to one of the windows, looking out at the view and grinning.

"Wow! The view from up here is amazing! I bet you can see the entire Devildom!" He then began pointing at one building in the distance. "Ooh! I see Purgatory Hall! Look! That window near the spire there is my room! Belle, Beelzebub, look!"

Both Beel and I just groaned from exhaustion and dread.

…

Later that night, Luke and I were alone in Beel's room. I was sitting in bed with my covers over my legs. Luke was sitting cross legged on the foot of the bed, and the two of us were just talking. I took the opportunity to ask him more about the Celestial Realm, which he was more than willing to talk about. He even told me some secrets I didn't expect.

"So, you've heard the story about Lucifer and his brothers, right?"

"You mean how they were all angels once? Mammon told me a bit of the story."

"Well, all of them except for Satan once lived in the Celestial Realm a long, long time ago. It was so long ago, you humans couldn't even imagine how far back it was."

"The time of Genesis I imagine."

"Exactly." Luke nodded and smiled. "Back then, Lucifer was the strongest and most beautiful of all the angels. He had six pure white wings, and light radiated from them."

I thought back to when Lucifer had revealed his demonic form. I had seen four wings sprouting from his back, their feathers as black as pitch. I could only assume the color was due to his now demonic standing, and the missing pair had probably been lost when he Fell.

"Now," my attention returned to Luke when he started speaking again. "Keep this between us, alright? You absolutely cannot tell anyone else, understand? Not Beelzebub or any of his brothers, either."

"My lips are sealed." I performed a lip locking pantomime to confirm this.

"Back then..." Luke's face turned red. "I admired Lucifer even more than Michael. And I wasn't the only one either. Other angels felt the same way. I think everyone did."

"Well, Lucifer was called the Morning Star, so I can see why."

"Yeah, just remember, this is our little secret."

Suddenly, the bedroom door was quickly opened, Beel rushing inside and almost slamming it behind him. My heart leapt into my throat and Luke practically leapt into my arms. Once he realized it was Beel, he scooched away from me, adjusting his beret.

"Y-you scared us!" He stammered.

"Beel, what's wrong?" I asked, pushing the covers aside. "Is everything okay?"

"We're in big trouble," Beel answered. "Luke's about to be found out."

Luke went pale, a tiny whimper escaping his lips. I was out of bed in an instant, terror plastered on my face.

"How?" I questioned. "What's going on?"

"We're having a surprise inspection. Now. Lucifer's checking each room to make sure no one's out past curfew."

Luke's terrified face relaxed when he heard this and he let out a breath.

"Oh, is that all? I just have to hide. Would the curtains be a good idea? Or maybe under the be-"

"None of the above," Beel cut off. "Lucifer does more than just poke his head in and check for people in their rooms. No, he also searches the _inside_ of the room itself."

"What?" Both Luke and I questioned.

"Why would he do something like-" I stopped, then just face palmed. "Mammon?"

"Yep." Beel nodded. "Lucifer originally started doing it because Mammon kept sneaking out after curfew and coming home late. He'd hide stacks of unpaid bills in his room so no one could find them."

"Then where am I supposed to hide?" Luke questioned. "There has to be somewhere safe I could go."

"There's not," Beel lamented. "Asmo had a witch that he brought back home one night in his room. She transformed into a spider and Lucifer _still_ found her."

"Then what do we do?" I asked.

"You get back in bed, Belle." I scrambled for the bed, grabbing the book I had been reading the past few nights. "Luke… get in the wardrobe."

"What's that gonna do?" Luke asked. "If Lucifer found a spider-witch, how is hiding in the wardrobe going to help?"

"Well, if you keep standing there doing nothing, he'll find you for sure." Beel grabbed Luke by the back of his robe, rushing over to Belphie's wardrobe and opening it. "Hopefully he won't think to look here since this side of the room isn't in use."

He shoved the answer into the mass of clothes stuffed in the wardrobe, causing a muffled yelp to escape from the angel. Beel shut the wardrobe, then bolted back to our side of the room, landing on the couch just as Lucifer opened the door.

"Alright you two, inspection time."

I looked up from my book, doing my best to act natural. Beel just grabbed a bag of chips he had resting on the couch, stuffing a handful in his mouth. Lucifer scanned the room for a moment, then turned back to us.

"Belle, Beel, I see you're both here." He stepped into the room, a serious look on his face. "I'm going to have a look through your room to be certain everything's in order. However, before I do, _is there anything you'd like to tell me?_"

The way he said that last part made by blood run cold. My mouth dried up and instinctively tightened my grip on my book. Beel just shoved more chips in his mouth. Lucifer's face didn't change.

"I see." He turned to Beel, crossing his arms. "Beel, open the wardrobe."

Beel set down his chips and walked over to his wardrobe, revealing nothing but Beel's clothes. Lucifer nodded.

"Now the other one."

Beel froze for a second and I felt the color drain from my face.

"There's nothing in there but Belphie's clothes," Beel tried to argue.

"_Open it._"

Beel and I exchanged momentary glances. I hid my face behind my book, unable to keep the expression of panic from manifesting. Moving slower than I've ever seen him move, Beel made his way over to Belphie's wardrobe. He grasped the handle, took a deep breath, and then opened it. To my and Beel's shock, the wardrobe was devoid of any pint-sized angels. Beel choked on a gasp of surprise and I had to cover my mouth to keep myself from saying anything incriminating. Lucifer just observed the interior of the wardrobe and nodded.

"Well, it seems the rumors of your harboring a puppy were just that, rumors." He turned back to the door. "I've seen everything I need to see. Don't stay up too late you two."

He left the room. Beel and I just kept staring at the empty wardrobe, trying to process what had happened.

"Where's Luke?" I hissed.

"I don't know. He's just… gone."

"How can he be gone? You just tossed him into the wardrobe a minute ago?"

"I don't know! This- This doesn't make sense!"

Both of us were in full panic mode, trying to figure out what happened to our renegade angel.

…

Luke didn't reappear for the rest of the night, or into the morning. There were no shouts of angel sightings around the breakfast table, and Lucifer seemed calm and content when he came to warn us that we needed to get moving. My first few classes were nothing but a blur, my thoughts stuck solely on Luke. By the time Morning Break came around, I was completely strung out, as was my unwitting accomplice.

"Belle," Beel greeted nervously as he approached where I was laying. "Have you seen Luke around RAD?"

"No." I shook my head solemnly. "Not even a passing glimpse."

I fiddled with my ribbon tie, extremely on edge at this point. Beel was just as bad, sitting down next to me with his leg bouncing a mile a minute. As we sat there stewing on our situation, Simeon approached, placing his gentle hands on our backs.

"Beel, Belle, so glad I found you." We both looked back at the angel, who smiled at us. "You two are looking after Luke, right?" I hope he's not causing too much trouble for you."

"Uh-" I tried to speak, unable to form coherent sentences.

"I'm sorry you had to get caught up in our private squabble. I tried to stop him before he could run off, but Luke is just too quick, I'm afraid."

"Yeah..." Beel agreed softly, eyes on the bench.

"I hope you don't mind taking care of him a little longer. Hopefully he'll be ready to come back soon." Simeon sighed, sitting down between us. "Luke can be a real handful, I know. He's still young and immature for an angel, and he knows very little of the world."

"We've… noticed," I remarked.

"He tends to judge everything in life from the perspective of someone in the Celestial Realm, using its logic. Though that's also one of the positive things about Luke. He's honest, genuine, and he adheres to a strict set of values that he doesn't break." He chuckled lightly. "When the two of us were originally chosen for the exchange program, he was extremely upset and depressed."

"We know," I informed him. "He's paranoid about being corrupted by the demons. I suppose the Fall is still fresh in his mind."

"It's fresh for all of us," Beel corrected. "Some more than others."

"Well, I had personally hoped that studying in the Devildom would help him realize that all his preconceptions of beings outside the Celestial Realm were wrong. Interacting with demons and humans like you Belle, I saw it as a chance for growth, not just as a person, but an angel as well. I'm guessing Michael felt the same way, which is why he chose Luke for this program."

"Luke doesn't seem to have figured that out," I pointed out. "Why haven't you told him?"

"Simple. While some supervisors like to teach the people they lead directly, giving them the answers they need, others prefer to make those they lead think for themselves and figure it out on their own. I fall into the latter category. I like to sit back and let Luke discover this for himself."

"I… suppose that makes sense," I allowed.

"Thank you." Simeon stood up. "If you find yourself unable to put up with him anymore, go ahead and kick him out. I'm sure he'll come back to me if he has no place else to go."

"We'll keep that in mind," Beel supplied.

Simeon nodded, then took his leave. Beel and I watched him go, then turned back to each other.

"We need to find Luke ASAP," Beel insisted.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," I replied.

…

Beel and I bolted back to the House of Lamentation the second the bell rang, making it home before everyone else. We didn't even bother changing out of our uniforms, just rushing straight into the search. We spread out across the house, checking every possible nook and cranny. We met halfway, both of us looking worried and nervous.

"Anything?" I asked.

"I scoured the first floor and found no trace of him. You?"

"Checked every room I could. I mean, I know he wouldn't be in any bedroom aside from yours, so that kind of limits the options."

"We should try one more time. I'll take the second floor, you take the first this time. We have to find-"

"You have to find what?" Satan questioned.

Both Beel and I jolted up straight, turning towards the blonde demon. He was glaring at the both of us, as if trying to peer into our thoughts.

"What are you trying to find?" He asked again.

"The puppy," I supplied. "The one Beel had in his room. We were going to release it today, but it got loose."

Satan gave a long, slow nod.

"I thought it was weird that Beel didn't eat all his breakfast. Just make sure you find the puppy and release it as soon as you can."

"You got it," I promised.

Satan walked off to his room, closing the door behind him. Beel let out a breath.

"Nice thinking," he told me. "Come on, let's get back to the search. If someone else finds Luke before we do, all three of us will be in serious trouble."

He went to do just that, but I stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"That's just it though, nobody's found him," I pointed out. "Nobody's seen any sign of him, and considering our talk with Simeon, he clearly didn't return to Purgatory Hall. He's got to be somewhere in the House of Lamentation, so why haven't we found him yet?"

Beel let that sink in, confusion etched on his face.

"That's a good question. More than that, he disappeared while inside a wardrobe." He began thinking, rubbing his chin. "I wonder..."

He began walking down into the foyer, me scrambling to catch up with him. He walked down the stairs and over to a decorative pedestal tucked into a nook by one of the stairs. Situated on this pedestal was a dollhouse, more appropriately, a scale model of the House of Lamentation. I looked at the dollhouse in surprise.

"How long has this been here?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's 100% accurate. It's even adjusted itself to match its current situation."

Beel waited for me to join him, then he opened the dollhouse. To my surprise, it did indeed show an accurate floor plan of the entire house. There was even tiny bits of construction equipment set up in the kitchen, and a hole in the floor of my bedroom.

"Okay that's impressive, but what are you expecting to find?"

"Something that's out of place or weird. Something we might have missed."

I took a closer look, scanning the different rooms on both the first and second floor. I almost missed it at first, but I stopped just in time. Situated between Beel's room and Lucifer's room was an eighth bedroom, one that shouldn't exist.

"Hey, what's this?"

I pointed the extra room out to Beel, who squints at it in surprise.

"That… shouldn't be there."

"If this thing is as accurate as you say it is, then it's there. That has to be where Luke is."

Beel straightened up, putting his hands up for a moment.

"Well, we've exhausted all our other options, so why not?"

Together, we returned to the second story, going to the space between Lucifer's and Beel's room. Having watched enough action movies, I began feeling across the walls, trying to find a secret entrance of some sort. Unfortunately, all I found was smooth wall covered in decorative wallpaper.

"Ugh, there's nothing here!" I exclaimed, punching the wall.

Beel gently took my hand, pulling me away from the wall.

"You need to be careful. Your wrist is still healing." He let me go, then took a look at the wall. "If there really is a secret room here, then it may be protected by magic."

"Right, Devildom. The magic thing didn't even dawn on me." I squatted next to Beel. "So, what are we looking for now?"

"Anything that doesn't fit. Something that looks like it's out of place or-" He stopped, his fingers tracing on the designs of the wallpaper. "Hang on… I think I see something hidden in the pattern."

I took a look, going wide-eyed when I saw what appeared to be words written in the designs. It wasn't in any language I recognized, but Beel seemed to.

"It's Enochian, the language of the angels," he explained. "It's some sort of… riddle, I think."

"Well, what does it say?"

"'When the morning star dwelt in the heavens, its light shone down upon this one, sparkling brilliantly, the eighth of the eight'."

I mulled that over, chewing on my thumbnail as I tried to figure out the answer.

"Okay, let me think… Lucifer was commonly known as the Morning Star, so that could be him. 'Dwelt in the heavens' could refer to before the Fall. But what about the eighth of the eight?"

"The eighth child," Beel answered, resting a hand against the wall. "The youngest of us, and the one Lucifer loved the most… Lilith."

The wall began to glow, an outline of a door forming. Beel stepped back, the two of us watching in amazement as a golden archway formed, a white door manifesting itself. The brightness of the door was a stark contrast to the usual dark architecture, and the fact it was magically hidden had both of us curious.

"...let's go," Beel decided.

He got up, offering his hand. I took it and he opened the door. A bright light met our eyes as we entered, making us shield our vision before we had a chance to adjust. We lowered our hands once our eyes were safe, then took stock of the room. It possessed massive windows with white, gossamer curtains. The walls were a forest green with paintings of flowers resting in gilded frames. There furniture was all covered in white sheets, and it was clear nobody had lived here in a very long time.

"This… what is this place?" I looked out the window, gasping when I saw a bright, sunny field filled with white flowers. "I can see the sun! And grass! And- And flowers that aren't blood red!"

"The Celestial Realm..."

I turned back to Beel, who was as white as a sheet as he looked around the room.

"This room is… it's Lilith's room… from back in the Celestial Realm… But… How is it here?"

I just watched Beel for a moment, feeling something click in my head. Slowly, I approached the gluttonous demon, reaching for him before stopping myself. I retracted my hand, then slowly began to speak.

"Lilith… isn't an exchange student… is she?"

Beel solemnly shook his head.

"She..." He choked slightly. "She died in the Great Celestial War..."

He leaned against the door, sliding down until he was sitting on the ground. I joined him, sliding down next to him. His magenta eyes were glistening as he sniffed, rubbing his face.

"During the battle, her wing was pierced by an arrow. Belphie and I both watched it happen right before our eyes. She plummeted out of the heavens..."

"Beel… I'm sorry..."

The tears began to fall as he screwed his eyes shut, fists clenched tightly on his legs.

"Just before Lilith was shot, I saw angels from the opposing side draw their bows and aim at both her and Belphie. I couldn't-" he choked again, sniffing hard. "I couldn't save them both… we were too far apart, and I knew I could only get to one of them in time. I locked eyes with Belphie, then the next thing I knew, I was rushing to his side to shield him."

"Belphie survived…" I said softly, "and Lilith didn't."

Beel nodded, then finally broke down. I rubbed his back, letting him release what I could only assume was centuries of repressed emotions.

"Beel, you did nothing wrong. You protected Belphie, so that counts for something."

"Everyone keeps telling me that, but none of them saw what I saw… They didn't see how Lilith looked at me as the arrow pierced her wing… They didn't see that look of despair before she fell… Belphie hasn't ever come out and said it, but I think he blames _me _for not being able to save Lilith."

"What?" I jumped to my feet. "How could you think that?"

"Because he wanted me to save her instead of him. I chose to save him instead..." He looked up at me with grief-stricken eyes. "Belle… what would you have done if you were in my shoes? Who would you have saved?"

I was caught off guard by the question. In truth, I didn't have an answer. No matter who I chose, someone would die and I would feel guilty. The source of the guilt would just shift.

Before I could dwell on this too much, my D.D.D. began to ring, much to my surprise. I fished it out, seeing that Mammon was calling me.

"Mammon?" I greeted in confusion. "What's-?"

"_Belle! Where are you?!_"

"I- I'm-"

"_Forget it. Something seriously bad is about to happen here!_"

"Mammon, I'm not bailing you out of trouble. I'm a little busy, so-"

"_You don't get it! The Chihuahua's down in the underground tomb, and Lucifer's about to kill him! Get down here now!_"

With wide eyes, I ended the call, jumping to my feet.

"Lucifer found Luke!"

"What?!" Beel jumped to his feet as well. "Where?!"

"The underground tomb, wherever that is!"

"I know where it is." He grabbed my hand. "Let's go!"


	10. The Confrontation

The underground tomb turned out to be a massive stone chamber that was practically covered in candles. A stone path led down this humongous chamber, leading to a stone sarcophagus with an intricate carving of a sleeping girl. The sarcophagus was covered in vines, the girl's hands shaped like they were meant to hold something.

Standing before this resting place was Lucifer in all his demonic glory. Rage was radiating off of him as he stared down a terrified Luke. The angel was on his butt, back to the sarcophagus with a book clutched close to his chest. He was shaking and crying, his eyes locked on the pissed demon. Mammon was there too, ironically trying to calm his seething elder brother.

"Lucifer, come on! Calm down a little, would ya?! He's just a lost dog, that's all!"

"R-r-right, exactly," Luke stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "A-and if you th-think you're gonna s-scare me looking all evil like that, y-you're wrong… It's w-w-won't work..." He swallowed hard, then his voice became a bit louder. "I-I'll have you know that I r-report directly to Michael the Archangel, one of the g-greatest-"

"Luke," Lucifer cut off. "That book…_ Do you realize what that is?_"

Luke looked down at the book in his grasp, tightening his grip.

"Y-you mean this…? I just took it off the stone coffin..."

Beel and I finally got close enough to the scene to take full stock of the situation, my demonic partner getting a good look at the book in Luke's hand.

"I know that book..." he whispered.

Beel's words drew Mammon's attention. He turned to us, looking relieved and worried.

"_Finally!_" He exclaimed, rushing over to us. "Belle, Beel, you're here! _Took you long enough!_"

"Why does Luke have a Grimoire?" Beel questioned.

"_What?!_" Mammon shrieked.

Luke suddenly looked even more scared for his life, tossing the book away from himself as if it were on fire. Lucifer instantly grabbed it, sliding it back into the grip of the stone girl. I just observed the scene, more confused than ever.

"What's a Grimoire?" I asked.

"It's a book of magic, one of several that exist," Beel clarified. "The one Luke had contains the power to control a demon… to make them do anything, even if it's in violation of a pact. Everything that we are rides on that book, thus it can never be stolen."

"Damn, no wonder Lucifer hid it down here," I remarked.

"Now is not the time for a magic lesson! Get with the program!" Mammon was still absolutely erratic, and it showed as he turned to Luke. "Hey! Dog! How did you end up down here in the first place? No one but us has access to down here!"

"I-I don't know!" Luke cried out. "Y-your guess is as good as mine! One minute, I'm in the wardrobe in Beelzebub's room, then I come out and find myself here! Th-then-"

"Beelzebub's room?" Lucifer repeated, causing Luke to shut up. "Did you just say…? _Beelzebub's room?_"

Beel's grip on my hand tightened and I felt all the breath leave my body. Mammon began backing away as Lucifer turned to me and Beel, his eyes ablaze with fury.

"_**BEELZEBUB!**_"

He grabbed Beel by the front of his uniform, yanking him off his feet and out of my grasp. The furious demon then threw him towards the sarcophagus. He landed hard, crumbling to the ground as Luke rushed over to him. I covered my mouth in horror, barely able to breath.

"You were harboring an _angel_ in your room?!" Lucifer demanded. "You _allowed him access_ to the House of Lamentation? You gave him access to our tomb so he could _steal the grimoire?!_"

"I- I wasn't trying to steal it!" Luke tried to explain, crying in earnest now. "Please, you have to-!"

"Shut up, idiot!" Mammon snapped. "You're only making things worse! Lucifer's far past the point of being reasoned with!"

Lucifer stalked towards Beel and Luke, murder in his eyes.

"_You two had better be ready to face the consequences!_"

Something in me snapped. Before I could even register what was going on, I was moving. I got in between Lucifer and his two targets, my arms spread and my body tense.

"No!" I screamed.

Everyone turned to me, looking at me like I had lost my mind. The tiny, rational part of my brain was screaming at me to move before I got killed, but I just shoved it down.

"Belle, what are you doing?!" Mammon hissed.

"_Out of the way, Human!_" Lucifer demanded. "_Unless you want to die here!_"

I could feel my legs quaking and my heart hammering in my chest. Despite my overwhelming urge to panic and flee, I stood my ground, meeting the furious demon's eye.

"No, Lucifer. I'm not going to let you hurt them. Either of them."

"Belle..." Beel said quietly. "Stop it..."

"Listen to him, Belle!" Mammon begged, looking beyond scared at this point. "He's going to kill you for real!"

"I'm not moving!" I snapped.

Lucifer just looked down at me, his nose upturned in a way that truly made him feel like the Avatar of Pride. The look he gave me was filled with nothing but disdain, disgust, and pure, unadulterated rage.

"A human risking her life to defend a demon and an angel… how very interesting." He snorted, crossing his arms. "Well, if you want to be a hero, you're going to have to choose one of them to save. Beelzebub or Luke."

"No." I shook my head.

That seemed to set Lucifer off. His fingers dug into the sleeves of his coat.

"It's one or the other…" He growled, his voice dropping into one that wasn't even remotely human. "Make. _Your.__** Choice!**_"

"No, Lucifer!" I shouted. "I won't choose! You're cruel to make anyone choose! I'm going to let you hurt Beel or Luke, understand? I'm going to protect them both!"

"Belle..." Luke whispered.

Lucifer began breathing hard, gritting his teeth in rage.

"You want… to save them both?"

He lashed out, grabbing me by my throat and lifting me in the air. I began choking, clawing at his hand as he squeezed, cutting off my air supply and crushing my throat.

"Do you actually think I'm going to allow a lowly human that choice?! _That you can have whatever you WANT?! __**NO!**_"

Everything started to go black as I saw a blur of red rushing forward. Before I could truly register what was going on, the darkness swallowed me and I fell into oblivion.

…

"...Belle..."

A voice, one that sounded familiar, was calling out to me. My body felt sluggish and slow. My throat burned. I just wanted to return to the inky abyss to escape the pain.

"...Come back to me, Belle."

Very slowly, I forced myself to open my eyes. The first thing I noticed was the familiar red paint of Beel's room. I was laying in his bed, the covered tucked neatly under my arms. I was also in my nightgown, which was a bit surprising. As I shifted my gaze towards the edge of the bed, I was surprised to find Beel sitting next to me, holding my hand.

"...Belle." He let out a small laugh of relief, squeezing my hand when he met my gaze. "You're awake."

"Yeah..." I rasped, coughing violently as my free hand went to my throat.

Beel quickly released my hand, reaching for the bedside table. He grabbed a crystalline bottle, removing the stopper and handing it to me.

"Here, drink this. It's a remedy that will help with your throat."

I took the bottle, downing the contents. It tasted like pomegranates and cooled down my burning throat. Within a few seconds, breathing became a bit easier.

"Thank you..." My voice was still a bit on the raspy side, but it wasn't as noticeable as before. "How long was I out?"

"A couple hours. It's about dinner time now. I was worried you would never wake up, being a fragile human and all." He took my hand again, still looking relieved beyond measure. "I'm just glad you're not dead."

"So am I…" I carefully sat up, trying not to move too fast for fear of passing out again. "What happened? I remember seeing a red blur before everything went black."

"Well, you made Lucifer _really_ mad when you stepped in to protect Luke and me. You almost got yourself killed..."

"The bruise on my throat tells me that much."

"That 'red blur' you saw was Lord Diavolo. He came running up, stopping Lucifer from killing you."

"Really?" I scrunched my face in confusion. "How did he even know?"

"I'm not sure." Beel chuckled slightly, looking at me with admiration and wonder. "Honestly, I'm still reeling from what happened. I mean, you saw how Lucifer looked back then, and yet you still got in between us. It was like you had a death wish."

"I just… I'm not sure what happened." I shrugged, looking down at my hands. "I just knew I couldn't let him hurt you or Luke. You… weren't hurt, were you?"

"No, I've been thrown a lot harder than that. Besides, you should be worried about yourself. You almost _died_, Belle. Shielding a demon from harm… it's completely unheard of."

"What can I say, I'm unpredictable like that." My face fell slightly as I glanced up at Beel's eyes. "Is Luke okay?"

"Simeon came over and took him back to Purgatory Hall. He was pretty shaken up after what he experienced."

"Who wouldn't be?" I responded. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be having nightmares for weeks about this."

Beel sighed, letting go of my hand and turning away in sorrow.

"Luke didn't do anything wrong… I'm the one to blame here."

"Huh?" I shook my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm the one who hid him in my room," Beel listed off, counting on his fingers. "I'm the reason he disappeared. I'm the one who failed to calm Lucifer down, and ended up putting you in danger..."

"Whoa, I'm going to stop you there." I held up a hand to cut him off. "First off, I'm the one who brought Luke into the House of Lamentation, not you. That one's on me. Secondly, how could you have possibly known that Belphie's closet would send him to the tomb? Thirdly, Mammon said so himself that Lucifer was beyond the point of reason. There was nothing you could do."

"I just… I feel guilty. You're not an angel, or a demon. You're not even someone with powerful magic. You're just a regular human, and yet you still stepped in to shield us… why?"

"Like I said before, I'm not sure. It was… like a reflex or something."

Beel smiled, taking my hand once more.

"I see. So that's simply the sort of person you are, then."

"I guess so."

"I wonder…" Beel's eyes became distant as his thoughts drifted slightly. "If the situation had been reversed, would I have stepped in to defend you?"

"I'm sure you would have," I assured him. "You're a good person, Beel.

"Thank you, Belle." He sat up in his chair, smiling at me. "I want to do something to make it up to you, and to thank you for saving me. Just name it."

I was seconds from telling him that it wasn't necessary, but as I went to wave him down, my eyes caught the glint of my pact bracelet. I recalled my promise to Belphie, which had taken a backseat in all the drama, and how I was supposed to make pacts with all the brothers. Seeing this as my best chance, I decided to go for it.

"Make a pact with me."

My request seemed to surprise him.

"A pact? With me? Why? You already have two pacts with Mammon and Levi, so why do you want one with me?"

It took me some time to come up with an answer. Belphie had made it quite clear that I couldn't tell his brothers about his plight. The threat of a massive war was still fresh in my mind. Of course, this made explaining my reasoning difficult. Luckily, I managed to find an answer that was true while also omitting the more sensitive areas.

"I want Lucifer to respect me," I told him. "Right now, he just sees me as an exchange student, one without any real standing or power. However, if I made pacts with you and the rest of your brothers, he'd have to recognize me as someone worth listening to."

"But why? Why is that so important to you?"

I took a deep breath.

"Because… Because I want him to make up with Belphie."

Beel blinked in surprise.

"I've seen the way you are whenever Belphie's brought up. You're hurting… a lot. I hate seeing my friends in pain, and I hate it even more when family fights. All I want is for Lucifer to recognize me as someone worthy of his attention, despite being human. If I manage that, I can convince him to have a heartfelt conversation with Lucifer."

"You..." Beel seemed at a loss for words. "You want to help… Belphie? You realize this isn't an easy task. Not even Solomon has been able to make contracts with all of us."

"As my dad always says, 'nothing worth doing is ever easy'."

Beel mulled this over for a bit, then gave a nod.

"Alright."

I blinked, legit shocked it had been that easy.

"You're serious?"

"Yes. I feel the same way you do. I want Belphegor and Lucifer to make up, and if making a pact with you will help that come to pass, then I'll do it."

He tightened his grip on my hand, placing his other hand over it before reciting the oath.

"I am Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony. I pledge myself to you, Isabella Collins, that we may be bound in an unbreakable pact. This I swear to you on both my name and the very blood that runs through my veins."

The familiar light gathered around our hands, swirling around our wrists. When it faded, Beel was now sporting a metallic red bracelet on his wrist. I had gained a new charm as well, a red one that sort of reminded me of a bird. It had solid wings on both sides, and three diamonds at the base that almost looked like tail feathers. I played with the charm, smiling happily.

"Three down, three to go."

…

I'm not sure what that elixir Beel gave me was, but my throat felt much better than before. The massive bruise was still there, but luckily I had a scarf I could use to cover it. This came in handy when Beel took me out for dinner. Given the state of the kitchen, we'd all been forced to eat take-out or at restaurants for food. Beel had been nice enough to show me the various places around the Devildom where one could get food, and I had taken a shine to Hell's Kitchen. Beel clearly remembered this, as this was where he decided to take me.

"Beel, you know you don't have to do this," I assured him. "I do have Grimm to pay for this."

"Maybe so, but I still feel bad about what happened. Order whatever you want. My treat."

"And you promise you'll stop feeling guilty afterwards?"

He nodded and smiled.

"I promise."

"Alright!" Mammon cheered. "Time to order big!"

"Ooh, they even have food from the human world!" Levi said happily, pointing excitedly at the menu. "Like this here, this is what Minoka ate in _Help! I'm an Evil Overlord! - How Discovering That My Classmate was a Witch Set Me on a Course to Become Supreme Ruler of another Dimension. _I can't believe they actually have it here!"

Beel groaned, looking over at the two others sitting at our table.

"I said I was taking Belle out to eat, not you guys. Why are you even here?"

"My guess, a combination of wanting to check on me coupled with Mammon's natural greedy tendencies," I offered up.

"C'mon Beel, what's the harm in us taggin' along?" Mammon asked. "Don't be such a killjoy."

"Order first, we should," Levi suggested, doing a surprisingly good Yoda impression. "Talk later, we can."

Beel sighed, realizing he couldn't easily get rid of them. I just pat him on the shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"Just so we're clear," Beel declared. "I'm _not_ paying for either of you guys."

"Now come on, Beel," mammon attempted to argue. "Even if there were ten of us here with you, we still wouldn't be able to eat as much as you do on your own."

"This coming from the demon who attempted to order everything on the menu from Ristorante Six just to get a rise out of Beel," I recalled.

"Exactly," Beel nodded. "I'm still not paying."

"Fine with that, I am," Levi announced, still doing his Yoda impression. "Begin by ordering drinks, I will."

"Gyah, will you cut that out?" Mammon demanded. "That gets real old real fast."

…

After settling on who would be paying for what, the four of us settled down to talk and eat. Considering I now had a good reason for my pacts, as well as the need for a plan moving forward, I decided to bring Levi and Mammon up to speed. To their credit, they listened the entire time I explained my plan. I was still careful not to reveal the truth about Belphie, only explaining my desire to help him and Lucifer makeup.

"So, that's why you've been so eager to make pacts," Mammon muttered. "Interesting."

"And that's why you decided you'd make a pact with her, Beel?" Levi asked.

"One of the reasons, yes," Beel nodded. "In the end, we both want the same thing."

"Belle, do ya really think you can do this?" Mammon questioned. "I mean, we're talkin' about Lucifer here."

"I know it's a longshot, but I have to try. I can't just sit by and let you seven just..." I sighed, leaning on the table. "I can't just watch your family crumble. I have to do something."

"I think you're being a bit generous when you say 'longshot'," Levi spoke up. "I mean, you've never even met Belphie. How are you supposed to get him and Lucifer to make up?"

"If you ask me, there's no chance this'll work," Mammon declared, making a slicing motion with his hand.

"Agreed," Levi nodded. "This isn't a game you can win."

"Well, it's clear that none of you are gonna solve it," I challenged. "I mean… this is like when the Lord of Emptiness was imprisoned in the Tower of Shadow. Because everyone was afraid of the Lord of Corruption, no one wanted to argue against this clear injustice."

Since both Beel and Mammon had been present for my TSL marathon, they understood what I was referencing. Levi just looked impressed and somewhat amused by my callback to his favorite show.

"She's right," Beel agreed. "This about it: When has anyone ever tried to solve our family issues, be it one of us or anyone else? Have any of us ever offered to help those two make up?"

Mammon and Levi looked down, muttering and shaking their heads.

"I know it might be impossible and we may have to accept that it won't happen, but we can at least try to help them before coming to that conclusion," I offered. "At least we'll have tried."

Both of them were silent for a moment, contemplating their options. Beel just sat there, nervously playing with his bracelet. After a bit, Mammon finally spoke again.

"Well, now that you put it that way, I guess I could help out. I mean, I can't deny that this thing with Lucifer and Belphie affects all of us."

"...Agreed," Levi said after a minute.

"Then it's settled," Beel grinned. "The three of us will help Belle on her quest to smooth things over between Lucifer and Mammon."

"Okay then!" Mammon punched the air. "It's time we came up with a name for this team of ours!"

I snorted, giggling into my hand.

"A name?" I chortled. "Really?"

"Do you really think we need a name?" Beel questioned.

"'Course we do! We've gotta figure these things out, get our ducks in a row before we do anything else. It promotes spirit, you know? Makes you more likely to succeed."

"How about… Evil Genesis Demongelion!" Levi suggested.

"I'm pretty sure that's a rip-off of an anime," I spoke up. "And a pretty well-known one at that. Let's not."

"Belle's right," Mammon nodded. "We need a cooler-soundin' name. You know, like 'Solomon and His 72 Demons'... Oh! I know! How about 'Mammon and his 3 Servants'?"

"Wouldn't that be 'Belle and her 3 Demons'?" I argued. "Besides, we're all equal in this. No one is above the other."

"Well, except Mammon," Levi quipped. "He's definitely low on the totem pole."

"Agreed," Beel chuckled.

Mammon growled bitterly as I just giggled, enjoying perhaps my first normal night since coming to the Devildom.

…

We never did come up with a name for our little band. Instead, our conversation just continued late into the evening. The names continued getting more and more idiotic, but it was all in good fun. Eventually, we called it a night and returned to the House of Lamentation. As we went inside, we were greeted by Lucifer, who was standing in the doorway. He was back to normal once more, but I still felt my heart leap into my bruised throat.

"You four were certainly out late," he remarked.

"Belle and I went out for dinner," Beel explained, a protective hand on my shoulder. "Mammon and Levi tagged along."

"I see," Lucifer nodded. "I'm glad to see you all getting along so well."

"Yep," Mammon nodded hastily before letting out an exaggerated yawn. "Wow, it's late. Better get to bed. Don't want to be groggy for class."

He bolted up the stairs to his room.

"I- uh..." Levi stammered for a moment, trying to think of an excuse. "I'm going to bed."

He bolted as well, leaving me and Beel alone with Lucifer. The latter smiled at me, no trace of anger or malice.

"By the way Belle, the repairs to the kitchen are finally done, and the floor of your room is fixed too. I'll have your stuff moved back into your room tomorrow, and you'll be able to sleep there again."

"That's good," I nodded. "Thank you."

"Guess this is your last night in my room," Beel remarked.

"So it seems," I agreed, taking his hand. "Come on, let's go to bed."

I pulled Beel away, giving Lucifer one final look. His eyes were glued to my bracelet, no doubt noticing the red charm now joining Levi's bronze one and Mammon's golden one. To his credit, he never said a word. Instead, he just watched as we walked off.

…

That night, I was laying in Beel's bed, sleeping soundly. As I rolled over in my sleep, a sensed a presence sitting down by the bed. I cracked an eye open to see the top of Beel's head leaning against the mattress. I scooted closer to the edge, groaning sleepily.

"You alright Beel?"

"Yeah…"

I closed my eyes to return to sleep, then Beel began talking softly.

"Remember what I told you about Lilith? Sometimes, I dream about her… or, I have nightmares about her. Back when we were angels, I asked her a question. I asked her, 'Lilith, if you had to choose between saving either me or Belphie, who would it be?' She just looked at me and said, 'both of you!'" He looked back at me, smiling slightly. "You did that today, Belle. You saved both me and Luke..." He trailed off, looking away. "Unfortunately, it's never that easy in my dreams. In them, Lilith and Belphie disappear, and I'm left all alone. Everything goes pitch black, and suddenly I'm falling. Falling down through a void..."

He fell silent at this. Still half asleep but sensing his need for affection, I reached over and began petting his head. He sighed when I did this, turning around and leaning his stomach against the bed. He closed his eyes, smiling slightly as he nodded off. I kept petting him until I myself fell asleep, nightmares plaguing the two of us no more.

…

At breakfast the next day, the atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Lucifer stared down me, Beel, and Mammon, his face an emotionless mask. We in turn just ate our breakfast, occasionally meeting his eye. After several minutes of this, Asmo sighed, setting down his fork.

"Normally, everyone's so happy and full of energy at breakfast. But things are _so_ tense today!"

"Considering what happened yesterday, I'm not surprised," Satan spoke up.

I adjusted my scarf again, wishing my uniform did more to hide the massive bruise.

"How about you, Levi?" Asmo questioned. "You stayed out of the drama, right?"

"I heard about it second hand," Levi supplied. "I've been in my room for the past three days playing _Master of Diablo. _It's an open-world game set in the human world, which you try to destroy by asserting control over Diablo, the Lord of the Underworld. It's _amazing!_"

Satan shook his head, rubbing his eyebrows.

"Yet another game with inappropriate themes." He straightened up, brushing his trepidation off. "Still, there are some advantages to your shut-in tendencies. You avoid getting caught in unpleasant business, like last night."

"You can say that again," Asmo chimed in. "Just look at Beel. He's on his sixth cup of soup. That's only half his usual pace."

"I see Mammon still has that same stupid expression on his face as always," Satan quipped.

"Hey!" Mammon exclaimed, dropping his spoon. "What's that about my face?! Stop talkin' behind our backs, okay?! It ain't funny!"

"Now, now, no need to throw a hissy fit," Asmo admonished.

Silence fell over the table again, causing me to let out a long, uncomfortable groan. After a bit, I gave up on eating. I set my napkin on the table and rose, preparing to head off to class early. I made it two steps before Lucifer spoke up.

"...Belle. Would you come see me in the music room before heading to class?"

I froze, my hand going to the scarf covering my throat. Reluctantly, I let out a shuddering breath before nodding, not turning to face Lucifer.

"S-Sure. No problem."

"Excellent. I'll be there waiting for you."

He rose from the table, carefully folding his napkin and walking off. As the door closed behind him, Asmo let out a whistle.

"Ooh, Lucifer wants to see Belle? Yikes! Super scary!"

Satan snorted, stifling a chuckle with his hand.

"Careful, Asmodeus. He might hear you."

The others didn't share his mirth. All three of the brothers I'd made pacts with were glancing nervously at me, each one resting a hand over their pact bracelet. They didn't say a word, but it was clear they were worried about what this talk entailed. For a moment, I was tempted to ask one of them to come with me for protection. However, I knew that they couldn't accompany me inside. Steeling my nerves, I made my way towards the Music Room.

…

Walking into the music room, I didn't know what to expect. I was more than a little nervous he was going to finish what he started last night. Luckily for me, he seemed much calmer now. He was sitting on the piano bench, waiting for me.

"Belle, thank you for coming." He rose to his feet and I took an instinctive step back, stopping him in his tracks. "I will not hurt you again. Quite the opposite. I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

I felt my fear alleviate as Lucifer looked genuinely upset.

"What I did was inexcusable, and it caused you grave harm. As such, I wanted to give you this." He reached into his tunic, pulling out a red vial. "This is a healing potion, and a very potent one. It wasn't easy to come by, but considering I am the cause of your current state, I felt it was worth the cost."

He handed it to me and I took it, removing the stopper and downing the contents. I gagged on the taste, which reminded me of cough syrup. Once I finished it off, I felt an ethereal warmth rush through my body. Curious to see if it worked, I removed the splint from my wrist. To my surprise, the bruise was fading right before my eyes, the tightness in my arm disappearing. I removed my scarf after that, checking myself in the mirror. Like with my wrist, the bruise vanished, as if the injury never happened.

"Thank you," I told him, turning back to him. "And… I accept your apology. You weren't exactly thinking straight down there, and if I'm honest, neither was I."

"Indeed. However, there is one thing I want to make clear." He reached for my hand, lifting it up and examining my pact bracelet. "As long as they consent to it, I have no problem with your making pacts with my brothers. However, your curiosity is getting the better of you. I want you to _stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong._"

He released my hand and I pulled it back, my other hand covering the bracelet. Lucifer crossed his arms, getting a serious look on his face.

"I believe I warned you not to climb the stairs leading up to the attic, and yet you did _exactly that_." I winced as Lucifer's face became more worried than angry. "I'm the only demon able to go up there thanks to a spell I cast on the stairs. Unfortunately, only demons are barred from entry, which is why you could go up there. However, I'm sure you've noticed there's nothing up there."

That threw me off for a moment, and I was silently grateful I had a good poker face. Somehow, Lucifer was aware I had ventured into the attic, but didn't know that I had spoken to Belphie.

"Curiosity killed the cat," he warned. "If you behave yourself, you'll complete your year here in the exchange program. At which point, we'll return you to the human world. I imagine that yesterday served as somewhat of a learning experience for you."

"That… is a bit of an understatement."

Lucifer nodded.

"I suppose it is. Still, the fact remains that I put you through a rather trying experience. Sometime in the near future, I'd like to treat you to a meal out somewhere to make it up to you."

"That could be nice."

"Well, that's all I wanted to say. You're free to go."

I nodded, then made my way out of the room. I felt a million times better, both physically and emotionally. Lucifer no longer wanted me dead, and as far as he knew, I was oblivious to Belphie's presence. This meant I could work on my plan unencumbered, provided I didn't royally screw myself over. All I had to do was find a way to make a pact with Asmo and Satan, then focus my attention on Lucifer himself. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but at the very least it no longer felt impossible.


	11. The Retreat

To say the brothers were excited to see I had survived my talk with Lucifer would be an understatement. Mammon and Levi both cheered happily as Beel grabbed me and lifted me up, giving me a once over. After ensuring I was in one piece, he finally set me down. Asmodeus was a little saddened that I had lost my scarf, but he did make a comment about how I looked better without my splint. Satan just looked at me, muttering in surprise that Lucifer had "wasted a healing potion on a mere human", but none-the-less congratulated me on my survival.

Compared to the drama of the previous day, school was rather uneventful and boring. I went to class, took notes, did my assignments, and generally acted like a normal student. It wasn't until the very end of the day where I got invited to sit in on a student council meeting. I walked into the courtroom I had first appeared in when I came to the Devildom, finding all the brothers and Diavolo sitting at their podiums.

"Ah, Belle, welcome," Diavolo greeted.

"Thanks for the invitation," I replied, looking around for somewhere to sit.

"Take a seat under the cow banner," Diavolo prompted. "If that's alright with you, Beelzebub."

"I don't mind," Beel assured him.

I made my way over to the seat, realizing quite quickly it was Belphie's chair. Considering how protective Beel had been of Belphie's side of the room, letting me use his chair so willingly was a nice surprise. I sat down, and Lucifer cleared his throat.

"Alright, I'm going to go ahead and call this officers' meeting to order. To start things off, Lord Diavolo has an announcement for us."

"Yes," Diavolo began, lacing his fingers together. "Well then, I assume that some of you have already heard the rumors about the group retreat."

This caught me by surprise, but it seemed I was the only one. The brothers, sans Lucifer of course, were whispering amongst themselves about it.

"A group retreat, huh?" Satan questioned. "I had heard the rumors, but could they honestly be true?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Mammon replied. "Seems like something Lord Diavolo would do."

"I can confirm these rumors to be true." My attention was pulled back to Diavolo. "Next week, I will be hosting an exchange party between demons, angels, and humans to be held at the Demon Lord's Castle. I have a feeling it will turn out to be quite an interesting experience for all of us."

"Maybe for you," Lucifer sighed, looking somewhat exhausted. "But for me, it's simply going to mean more headaches."

"Now, now, don't say that, Lucifer," Diavolo admonished teasingly.

"So, demons, angels, and humans are all going to get together and have an exchange event?" Asmo questioned. "Nothing like that has ever happened before, has it?"

"No, indeed not," Diavolo answered. "But, there has to be a first time for everything. And you all are going to be present to witness this particular first."

"Still, a group retreat?" Mammon let out. "Just the fact that you'd call it that tells me it's gonna be a huge hassle..."

"Will there be food?" Beel asked. "Good food?"

"Ah, yes, why don't I let Lucifer give you the rundown on what we have planned," Diavolo suggested.

Lucifer nodded, then began speaking once more.

"The exchange party will be held at the Demon Lord's Castle. In addition to spending the night there, you'll be attending several events, including a dinner party and formal dance."

"A dinner party?" Beel drooled.

My heart dropped at the words "Formal Dance". I couldn't dance to save my life, and I knew I didn't have any formal dancewear.

"Any questions?" Diavolo offered.

"Demon Lord's Castle?" I questioned, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's the castle where Lord Diavolo lives," Satan answered. "It's hands down the most magnificent, impressive structure in all of the Devildom."

"And it's just like the castle where the heroine lived in _Fantasium Fantasia 9_!" Levi chimed in. "Now, when it comes to the _Fantasium Fantasia_ series as a whole, it goes without saying that the fourth installment is a timeless masterpiece. Afterwards, the games when 3D polygonal, and the old producer and BGM composer both left, so the general opinion of people online is that those games were trash. Personally, while I agree that the 2D sprite graphics of _Fantasium Fantasia 4_ were great, I think _Fantasium Fantasia 7_ is clearly a masterpiece as well, on par with 4 even. It's known for having an excellent scenario and character designer, and what's more-!"

"Yes, the demon Lord's castle is like something straight out of a fairy tale," Asmo cut off. "It's absolutely beautiful."

"At first glance, sure," Mammon muttered. "But I know _the truth_. I know about tons and tons of horrible stories they tell about that place. It's enough to make your skin crawl."

"Oh really?" I questioned, more playful than serious. "Like what?"

"Barbatos has a secret torture room beneath the castle. And every night, you can hear his victims screams of agony echoing up from outta there...And there's a huge mirror, and behind it is the entrance to a secret labyrinth. And inside that Labyrinth lives a monster that feasts on the innards of demons..."

"So, Asmodeus claims the castle is like a fairytale while Mammon sees it as a hell house," Satan mused before turning to me. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking that considering the gruesome reputation the House of Lamentation has while being a surprisingly nice place to live, I'm more inclined to believe Asmo."

"Well, you'll get a chance to see for yourself, won't you?" Asmo beamed.

…

"An exchange party?" Belphie repeated before snorting. "Ridiculous."

"Yeah, that's the jist of it," I replied. "I'm not gonna be able to visit you for a while, so I figured I'd at least give you a reason."

"Well, thanks for the heads up, but let's get back on track." Belphie reached through the bars of his attic prison, grasping my wrist and looking at the contract charm bracelet on it. "You managed to make another contract?"

"Yep. With Beel this time."

"Wow..." Belphie released my wrist. "I'll admit, you didn't strike me as the type of person who would come through for me, so I didn't really have my hopes up. But, you seem to be actually gaining their trust."

"Well, almost all of them. Lucifer doesn't trust me one bit. Surprisingly though, he doesn't seem to know we've met."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Apparently there's a spell on the stairs so no demon besides Lucifer can climb them. Being human, I can, so Lucifer must have also placed a spell on the door as well. If I had to wager a guess, it's one that would make it invisible to humans."

"If that's true, then how can _you_ see this room?"

"I wish I knew. I mean, I don't have any magic like Solomon, and I know I'm human… I honestly have no idea why I can."

Belphie didn't seem satisfied by that answer. He met my eyes, as if trying to look into my soul to unravel the mystery.

"I have my suspicions," he admitted. "Namely, I've heard a rumor that you're not just any ordinary exchange student. You were brought here for a reason."

"A reason? Me?"

"Yeah. You need to find out the reason. I'm almost certain you can while at Diavolo's exchange party."

"So, you want me to snoop around and see what I can find? What about the pacts and getting you out?"

"We have bigger fish to fry at the moment. Besides, I know you're curious as to why you were chosen."

I had to admit, this new development was a surprise. If I truly had been chosen for a reason, then maybe there was more to me than meets the eye. Either way, my natural curiosity was eating at me.

"Okay, I'll look into it," I promised.

"Good." Belphie smirked. "This should be very interesting indeed."

…

The very next morning, Lucifer roused us all from bed, urging us to get dressed and get ready for the retreat. I was even lended a leather suitcase so I could pack what little stuff I had. Having moved several times throughout my childhood, I was used to the chore and knew how to do it quickly and efficiently. As such, I was one of the first people in the lobby. I sat down on top of my suitcase, scrolling through Devilgram as I waited for the others. I wasn't too surprised when I heard Mammon's voice booming as he came down the stairs.

"Alright! It's finally time for our retreat! Three days and two nights!" He dropped his suitcase, a battered old thing held together with money printed duct tape, as he wrapped an arm around me. "So, Belle! Are you pumped for this or what?!"

"I will admit, I am looking forward to seeing more of the Devildom."

Mammon released me, giving me a look.

"Hey now, come on, let's hear some more _excitement,_ eh?"

"Actually," Levi's voice came from the top of the stairs, "a little less excitement would be nice. You're being _really_ loud."

Mammon turned to Levi, who was dragging a large, rolling suitcase covered in anime logos and stickers. The third brother looked more than a little miffed, something that didn't go unnoticed by the second-born brother.

"Aw, what's wrong with you, Levi? Get that grumpy look off your face, killjoy." Mammon then perked, an idea coming to him. "Ah, I know what's goin' on here. You stayed up all night playin' games and readin' manga and stuff didn't ya."

"No, you're just too excited right now, Mammon, and it's really annoying."

At that moment, Satan descended the stairs, a sleek, black suitcase in his hand.

"Mammon being annoying is nothing new, but I agree," He reached the bottom of the stairs, setting down the suitcase and crossing his arms. "This morning, he's just _especially_ annoying."

I set down my D.D.D, looking over at Mammon.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you're as excited as you are. I seem to recall you complaining non-stop about how much of a drag this retreat was going to be."

Mammon turned red in the face, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his tunic and looking away.

"Ah shut up, all of you. Sure, I thought it was gonna be a drag, but now that it's actually time to go, I'm excited! Anythin' wrong with that, _huh_?!"

"What are you, an elementary school kid about to head off on a field trip?" Satan quipped.

Before the argument could continue, Beel came down the stairs. He was lugging the biggest suitcase I had ever seen. It was easily twice the size of my own and was a bright red with a sun emblem and several food stickers. Everyone stared as he set them down, Mammon letting out a whistle.

"Whoa, Beel, what's with the bag? It's _way_ too big for this trip." He let out a snicker as an idea hit him. "Did you pack any clothes in there, or is it all food?"

Following right on his heels was Asmodeus, dressed in his favorite casual wear. He had a white stand collar jacket with a zipper closed from his navel to his chest and a pink shirt underneath. His pants were a reddish-pink color with two pockets on each front side, and a belt in a shade of orange wrapped around his waist. Completing his ensemble were black leather shoes and a black scarf loosely wrapped around his shoulders. However, what drew my attention were the two large suitcases he had in each hand.

"You think his bag's big?" I chuckled, gesturing to the top of the stairs, "Check out Asmo's bags."

The two suitcases were about the same size as Beel's, though his were covered in enough pink glitter to make Disney princesses jealous. He set them both down at the foot of the stairs, giving everyone a wave.

"Good morning everyone! My, you're all up early." He sat down on top of one of his cases, crossing his legs like he was sitting down for tea and gossip. "Ugh, I could _not_ decide what to do with my hair this morning, you know? It took so much time..."

"Asmodeus," Satan let out in a mixture of exasperation and confusion, "_why_ do you have so much luggage?"

"Yeah, isn't this retreat only for two nights?" I recalled. "You shouldn't need this much stuff."

"Right?" Mammon declared, gesturing to the suitcases with both arms. "You'd think he was headin' off on a tour of the three worlds or somethin'."

Asmo let out an indignant snort, crossing his arms and turning away.

"This is actually quite a bit less than what I wanted to bring. It occurred to me that I only have two hands, so I could only bring two suitcases with me."

"Actually," Levi piped up, "larger doujinshi artists generally ship their stuff when they go to conventions."

"Well, this is a bit different from an anime convention, Levi," I reminded him. "Besides, doujinshi artists usually have products they're trying to sell that require specific handling instructions. I'm pretty sure all Asmo has his clothing, hair products, and make-up."

"Right on the nose, Belle," Asmo beamed. "After all, everyone expects me to look my best at all times. Being the Avatar of Lust, who am I to disappoint them?"

The brothers all rolled their eyes as Asmo's declaration, and I too fell for the overwhelming urge. Asmo remained oblivious to our antics, still beaming like Miss America. It was at this moment that Lucifer decided to descend the stairs. His suitcase was a simple black one with golden clasps. It was slim and about the size of a brief case, leading me to believe that he was probably the only one of us to pack both neatly and sensibly.

"Excellent, everyone's here. It won't do to keep Diavolo waiting. We should head over to the Demon Lord's castle immediately. I want to get there before the Angels and Solomon."

Everyone gave some form of non-verbal replies, grabbing their suitcases and heading for the door. As I grabbed mine, Mammon came up next to me with a teasing look on his face.

"I hope you're ready, Belle," his voice dropped into an exaggerated spooky tone, "'cause there's no guarantee you'll come back from this alive..."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"Stop trying to scare me, Mammon. It's not gonna work."

"Besides," Satan chimed in, moving so he was walking at the same pace as the two of us, "if you want Belle to be interested in you, attempting to scare her isn't the best source of action."

Mammon stopped in his tracks, his face as red as a tomato as he sputtered and stumbled over his words. After a moment, he regained his senses and rushed to catch up.

"What?! Whaddya mean?!" He gave a snort, turning away. "Why would I want Belle to be interested in me, huh? I was just trying to warn her about the castle, that's all! I mean, I've heard a lotta rumors about stuff like ghosts wanderin' the halls."

"Well, I heard that there's an underground labyrinth beneath the castle," Satan remarked.

"Well, the House of Lamentation is supposed to be haunted, and yet I haven't seen any ghosts. So, I highly doubt there are actual ghosts flitting about," I spoke up. "As for the labyrinth, considering that hidden passages and secret tunnels are rather par for the course when it comes to castles, I'm willing to believe it."

"Get moving, you three!" Lucifer snapped.

Mammon, Satan and I all jumped, rushing to catch up to the other brothers.

…

The Demon Lord's Castle reminded me of Notre Dame, if the famous chapel was five times as big and ten times as wide. Towering spires rose higher than the eye could see, stained glass windows depicting demonic battles of old. The main doors were large enough that a giant could fit through them without having to bend over. However, the most startling thing about the castle was that the inside looked like it was made from a culmination of high grade ivory and polished gold.

Diavolo and Barbatos met us in the grand foyer of the castle, towering columns rising up to vaulted ceilings with glimmering chandeliers. The Demon Lord spread his arms out wide, as if he was waiting for a hug or something.

"Well, good morning. I must say, I couldn't wait for you to arrive!"

"Welcome to the Demon Lord's Castle," Barbatos greeted with poise and grace one would expect from a butler. "It is a pleasure to have you here."

"Good morning, Diavolo. You too, Barbatos." Lucifer said with a polite nod as he glanced around the foyer with a slight smile. "Well, it seems that neither Solomon nor the angels have arrived yet, have they?"

Mammon rolled his eyes, dropping his suitcase and giving an exaggerated shrug.

"Man, now that's just shameless. Listen to you pretendin' like ya didn't hurry over here all frantic like, forcing us out of bed early so we'd be the first ones at Lord Diavolo's."

Lucifer glanced over at Mammon, his gaze as cold as ice. I felt a chill run down my spine just being in the vicinity of that frosty look.

"Hm?" the eldest brother let out, crossing his arms. "Did you say something, Mammon?"

Mammon swallowed hard, shrinking into the coat of his uniform as he muttered something along the lines of "No, Lucifer sir" under his breath. Diavolo watched the exchange and laughed merrily.

"Well, it seems Lucifer and Mammon are getting along as well as ever."

"Honestly, I'm surprised Mammon is still alive," I admitted. "How nobody's gone and killed him yet is beyond me."

"My guess, sheer dumb luck," Satan spoke up. "I'm just embarrassed at the thought of Solomon and the angels getting a front row seat to all of Mammon's idiocy."

"I'm standing _right here!_" Mammon snapped, glaring at Satan with a withering scowl.

About that time, there was the sound of gentle knocking on the main doors. Barbatos smiled, stepping towards the doors.

"Speaking of our other guests, it would appear they've just arrived."

He pulled the large doors open, allowing Simeon and Luke to come in. Simeon looked around with an appraising eye, admiring the architecture before noticing me and the brothers. With a smile that only an angel could pull off, he gave a small wave to us all.

"Hello, and good morning! Seems we've already got quite the crowd here, don't we?"

All of a sudden, Luke's eyes locked onto me. He looked shocked for a brief moment, then he broke out into a grin as he rushed over to me. Before I even knew what was going on, he had thrown his arms around my waist, burying his face in my shirt.

"Belle! You're okay!" I felt liquid on my shirt and I realized that Luke was crying. "I was so worried!"

Carefully, I wrapped my arms around Luke in what I hoped was a comforting manner. As I did, I heard the sound of grinding teeth. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed a fuming Mammon glaring daggers at Luke.

"You… little mutt… how dare you just run up and hug Belle like that!"

Beel looked a bit uncomfortable at the exchange, rubbing his pact bracelet. Levi just rolled his eyes, crossing his arms while pouting.

"Ugh… this is why I can't stand normies..."

Luke finally pulled himself out of my short, wiping his eyes and smiling up at me.

"I'm so glad you're alright! I was afraid Lucifer had killed you! Or worse!"

I let out a small laugh, patting him on the shoulder.

"I'm okay Luke, I promise. Not so much as a scratch."

"Mostly due to that potion Lucifer gave you," Satan pointed out.

"I'm so, so sorry, Belle," Luke apologized. "If Diavolo hadn't gotten there in time, you would have died… and it would have been all my fault. I wanted to come and make sure you were okay, but Simeon insisted it was a bad idea."

"Smart call," I admitted.

"Even so, I've been beside myself with worry. Please forgive me, Belle."

"There's nothing to forgive, Luke. I promise, we're all good."

Luke grinned from ear to ear.

"Are you actually an angel? Is that it? An angel disguised as a human?"

"Nope, she's completely human," Solomon's voice called out from the door. "Though an exceptionally lucky one from what I've seen."

We all turned to see Solomon being allowed in by Barbatos. To my surprise, he looked completely different from what I was used to. He was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt with a mock turtleneck, black pants with a black belt, and meticulously shined black shoes. Completing the ensemble was a black and blue gradient cape with white speckles and metallic gold trimming, black shoulder pads, and a white stole with metallic gold diamond-linked chains. For perhaps the first time since I'd met him, he legitimately looked like a sorcerer.

"From what I heard, Simeon and Diavolo had to get together and mediate a solution."

"Indeed we did," Simeon nodded.

"Isn't that right, Lucifer?" Diavolo questioned, smirking in a, pun unintended, devilish manner.

Lucifer crossed his arms, glancing away. His expression was a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and annoyance. For a brief moment, he and Luke met each other's eyes. It lasted for barely a second, then both looked away, Luke looking down like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"...yes," Lucifer answered after a moment.

Luke just remained silent. Just then, Diavolo clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention.

"Alright, enough of that," he insisted. "Now that we're all here, perhaps we should go ahead and explain how this retreat is going to work."

"Certainly, my lord," Barbatos said with a small nod. "The aim of this retreat is for demons, angels, and humans to intermingle so that each may gain a better understanding of the other."

Mammon let out a malicious chuckle.

"Well, as we're stayin' the night, I say the best way to _intermingle_ is by havin a pillow fight!"

As per usual, everyone ignored Mammon.

"Now, I will begin by explaining what we have planned for each day of the retreat," Barbatos continued without missing a beat. "After you've taken your belongings up to your rooms, we'll begin with a tour of the Demon Lord's Castle, where you'll have a chance to learn about Devildom history. Tonight, we'll be dining on genuine Devildom cuisine, prepared by myself, for dinner."

Next to me, Beel began drooling, his eyes sparkling at the prospect.

"Barbatos' authentic Devildom cuisine..."

"Tomorrow, we'll have a scavenger hunt throughout the castle, " Barbatos went on, "followed by a Celestial Realm dinner courtesy of Luke."

A roll of thunder then echoed through the castle. I was a little worried about the noise until I remembered that there was no weather in the Devildom, which is when I turned to Beel. He was rubbing his stomach, which roared again like thunder.

"Food from the Celestial Realm..."

"I just hope Luke remembers that he's making dinner," Simeon remarked. "Otherwise, he'll make nothing but sweets and cakes."

"I know, I know," Luke whined.

"Incidentally, there will also be a dance following tomorrow's dinner," Barbatos went on. "Then on day three, the final day, we'll get to enjoy food from the human world for lunch. This meal will be the combined effort of both Solomon and Belle."

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed, completely caught off guard by this declaration. "Nobody told me about this!"

"I did send notice regarding our plans," Barbatos insisted.

"Yeah, well, I never got them! This is news to me!"

Lucifer turned to Mammon, giving the greedy demon a death glare.

"Mammon, I recall giving you specific instructions to inform Belle of this arrangement. Did you not do as I requested?"

Mammon gulped, letting out a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.

"H-huh… I uh- I coulda sworn… I mentioned… that… at some..." He trickled off after that, burying his head in his jacket.

"Well then," Barbatos announced. "How about we move on to the room assignments?" He turned to Lucifer first. "Lucifer, you will be sharing a room with Lord Diavolo."

That cut off Lucifer's death glare for a moment, his focus turned to Diavolo in confusion.

"You have your own bedroom," he pointed out. "Why are you sharing a room with me?"

"Why else?" Diavolo laughed joyously. "Because this is a retreat, of course!"

Lucifer signed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.

"You certainly seem to be looking forward to this."

"Luke, Beelzebub, Leviathan," Barbatos listed off, "you will be sharing a room."

The three beings he'd listed off didn't seem to notice. Beel had taken the opportunity to go through Levi's bag, finding a figurine of an anthropomorphic pancake stack. He attempted to eat it before he was yelled at by Levi, who snatched the figurine back. Luke just looked at the two, letting out a worried groan.

"I have a really, really, bad feeling about this..."

"Simeon, Asmodeus, Belle," I perked when Barbatos said my name. "You'll be sharing a room as well. Finally, Solomon, Mammon, and Satan will be sharing."

Mammon sputtered, clearly unhappy with the arrangement.

"Wh..?! What…?!" He then turned to Asmo, grabbing him by his jacket. "Yo, Asmo, we're switching rooms!"

"What?" Asmo asked, looking surprised at Mammon's forcefulness. "Why?"

"Because-!" He cut himself off, his tsundere kicking in and stealing his voice. He released Asmo, now tripping over his words. "Because… uh… Y'know… Solomon looks like he snores, and...and Satan's feet probably stink..."

Solomon snorted, crossing his arms and giving Mammon a disappointed look.

"Well, that's an awfully rude thing to accuse me of. And it's not true."

"Also, my feet don't smell, Mammon," Satan added in, placing a hand on his hip while glaring at his brother.

"Admit it Mammon," I spoke up, a knowing smirk on my face as I crossed my arms. "You're just trying to weasel your way into sharing a room with me."

Mammon turned beet red.

"Wh?! You idi…! N-No I don't!" He protested feebly. "Why would I want to share a room with _you?!_ I mean...a _human?!_ When you sleep in the same room as one, their smell ends up rubbin off on ya! I'm still getting her stink out of my pajamas after she fell asleep on me during our TSL marathon."

"Ew, is that why you haven't washed those pajamas?" Levi questioned.

"_That's not the point!_ The point is Asmo should be grateful I'm even willing to trade with him! He should be _honored_ actually!"

I just laughed, shaking my head. Asmo smirked, crossing his arms.

"I see. Well, if that's the case, then I'll spare you the frustration," He quipped, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me in close. "My answer is no."

"_Why not?!_" Mammon shouted.

"Because if you're _so_ vocal about your dislike of humans, I'm doing _you_ a favor by turning you down." There was a shit eating grin on Asmo's face as he nuzzled his head against mine. "Thank you, but no thank you."

Mammon just let out an animalistic growl before Lucifer snapped his fingers.

"How long do you all intend to goof around in the lobby? Let's go. It's time to take your belongings up to your room."

He then grabbed Mammon by the ear, dragging him off as the rest of us grabbed our things, following Barbatos to our assigned rooms.


End file.
